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All About Women

A patient-centered practice for all stages of a woman's life

Gainesville, FL (352) 331-3332
6440 W Newberry Rd, Ste 111

Lake City, FL (386) 754-1744
4447 NW American Ln, Ste 102

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Blog / Pregnancy & Prenatal Care / Information on the Behavior of Sperm Could Lead to New Treatments for Infertility

Information on the Behavior of Sperm Could Lead to New Treatments for Infertility

May 10, 2012 By Site Admin

It has long been understood that the process of fertilization involves sperm swimming through the female reproductive system on their way to rendezvous with an egg, but there’s some new research out of the UK that explains how the trip is a bit more complicated than that, and that in addition to swimming to their destination, sperm may also crawl there.

The study comes out of the UK’s Warwick and Birmingham universities, and it’s helping us better understand the voyage sperm take through the cervix and uterus before reaching the ovum.

We already knew that the trip was hardly a straight line. Female reproduction contains a complicated system of twists and turns. What the researchers in this study found, though, was that the small percentage of sperm that make it to the ovum are those which are best at navigation, and those that know when to swim and when to “crawl” along the insides of the reproductive organs.

A quote from Dr. Jackson Kirkman-Brown, who helped perform the study, paints an interesting picture of how much more complex the journey is than previously thought. He states that, “I couldn’t resist a laugh the first time I saw sperm cells persistently swerving on tight turns and crashing head-on into the opposite wall of a micro-channel.”

While they swim around angles, though, sperm cells actually cling to the edges of narrower passages in a manner similar to crawling. At least, it seems, the successful ones do.

The hope of those who completed the study is that this information can be combined with previous knowledge regarding how the shape of the head of the sperm impacts the ability to travel , ultimately making existing fertility treatments more effective.

It also backs up information we already knew about the female side of the fertility equation – mainly that certain conditions like cysts and endometriosis can change the landscape of the reproductive anatomy and make it more difficult for sperm to reach and fertilize an egg.

The more we learn about reproduction, the better we can assist families who are affected by infertility, so studies like this are always exciting.

If you’ve personally experienced trouble getting pregnant, the board-certified obstetricians at Gainesville’s All About Women offer services related to conception, as well as diagnosis and assistance with certain specific fertility issues. We’d love the opportunity to help you get your family started, so give us a call today.

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Filed Under: Pregnancy & Prenatal Care, Research & New Techniques Tagged With: conception, conditions and treatments, ovulation, pregnancy care, pregnancy symptoms, research, twins pregnancy

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Being a patient-centered practice goes well beyond seeing patients in our office. We want to help you find important answers before you even step in the door. Our OB/GYN blog helps us accomplish this goal but more importantly, helps women like you better understand your unique health needs. Browse around and learn more about pregnancy, general women’s health, exciting new research and more!

Contact Us With Any Questions

All About Women Obstetrics and Gynecology – Gainesville

Gainesville
6440 W Newberry Rd, Ste 111
Gainesville, FL 32605
(352) 331-3332


All About Women Obstetrics and Gynecology – Lake Cit

Lake City
4447 NW American Ln, Ste 102
Lake City, FL 32055
(386) 754-1744


 

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Gainesville and Lake City OB/GYN Care
OB/GYN doctors at All About Women, Obstetrics & Gynecology offer personalized, technologically advanced obstetrics and gynecology services from Board Certified OB/GYB physicians. Besides expert women's healthcare, permanent birth control and prenatal care, OB/GYN doctors also offers advanced hysterectomy surgery in and around the Gainesville area.


Women's Health Care in Alachua & Columbia Counties
With offices in Gainesville and Lake City, Florida, All About Women, M.D. provides expert OB/GYN services covering the entire range of women's healthcare needs. Our OB/GYN physicians and nurse midwives provide expert care during pregnancy as well as state of the art in-office treatments for gynecologic disorders including Novasure endometrial ablation to treat/stop heavy menstrual bleeding.


Personalized & Expert Prenatal Care
Gainesville obstetricians at All About Women, M.D. help ensure pregnancy goes as smoothly as possible by offering the best prenatal care available. And for those having difficulty getting pregnant, AAW obstetricians and gynecologists offer couples the best infertility help and treatment available.


Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery: daVinci Surgical System
Clinic founder Dr. Anthony Agrios, Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist also specializes in the daVinci Robotic surgery system, a minimally invasive option commonly used for a hysterectomy and other procedures. Instead of creating several small incisions like traditional surgical methods, OB/GYN surgeons simply open one incision with the daVinci system to complete the procedure. Not only do patients experience less pain and blood loss, they recover and get back to normal much faster.


Pregnancy & Prenatal Care: Creative Pregnancy Announcement : Fruits for Pregnant Women

OB/GYN Tips: Choosing an OB/GYN : Robotic Hysterectomy

Infertility & Reproduction Health: Infertility Treatment : Permanent Birth Control

Women's Health: Preventive Care : Well Women Care : Mammogram Screenings : Abnormal Periods

Gainesville Maternity Care

 

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All About Women
Gainesville and Lake City, Florida Obstetrics & Gynecology

Offices conveniently located in the heart of North Florida (Alachua County & Columbia County). Serving women of all ages and backgrounds
in and around Ocala, Williston, Chiefland, Perry, Live Oak, Lake City, Starke, Palatka and Gainesville.