Discovery may improve success of IVF

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Researchers have discovered a way to possibly boost in vitro fertilization success rates.

Fertility specialist Dr. Armando Hernandez Rey with Conceptions Florida said determining the right moment in a woman’s cycle for IVF has always been a challenge, but a team of researchers have now identified a marker called P.C.X. that blocks implantation.

“This marker, instead of giving us a green light for implantation when it’s there, it gives us a red light essentially and we need to figure out how to down regulate it or decrease it so that the uterus is more amenable to implantation,” Hernandez-Rey said.

Researchers said the findings offer a promising path to both improving IVF success rates and potentially treating an underlying cause of infertility.

Also in today’s health news, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention is raising concerns about another impact of this pandemic: A disruption in traditional HIV testing, especially among gay and bisexual men.

Recent data shows 69% of new HIV diagnoses were among this population, and that an estimated 15% of men did not know their status.

Health officials say the findings underscore the importance of self-testing through an on-going project supported by the CDC.


About the Authors:

Veteran journalist Kathleen Corso is the special projects producer for Local 10 News.

Kristi Krueger has built a solid reputation as an award-winning medical reporter and effervescent anchor. She joined Local 10 in August 1993. After many years co-anchoring the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., Kristi now co-anchors the noon newscasts, giving her more time in the evening with her family.