in this issue
Sonja Kristiansen, MD
Medical Director & co-founder
of
the Houston
Infertility Clinic, Dr. Kristiansen is double board certified
in
Reproductive
Endocrinology and Obstetrics & Gynecology and
specializes in surgical and IVF procedures.
She has
advanced training in hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, and
microtubal reconstruction. She also works with
female endocrine abnormalities relating to
menstrual and reproductive development.
Quick Links...
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Greetings,
For most women, becoming a mother is something they
first considered as a child themselves. Later on, as life
happens, not everyone's journey unfolds along the
same path.
For many of us, the world is a very different place from
that in which our own mothers grew up. Not every
woman finds, or wants to find, Mr. Right in time to have
a baby. What then? Sacrifice the beloved notion of
motherhood?
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Changing Times & Minds
As more women become knowledgeable about the
importance of age and time in regards to conception,
more single women are considering the use of fertility
treatment to get pregnant.
Recently, the American Society for Reproductive
Medicine went on record in support of equal access to
clinical fertility assistance without regard for a patient's
marital status. The ASRM Ethics Committee
addressed "the changing nature of reproduction and
the family," expressing they could find no justification
for denying fertility services to single or homosexual
individuals. Their statement, published in the November
2006 issue of Fertility & Sterility, seeks balance
between three values: reproductive interests of the
unmarried, protection of offspring's welfare, and the
dynamics of professional autonomy and a duty to avoid
discrimination.
We at Houston Infertility Clinic are already well-versed
and experienced in addressing the needs of women who
seek pregnancy without a male partner. We welcome
consultation appointments for any woman, married or
not, who is considering fertility assistance. Single
women will be treated with the same professional
respect and compassion as those who come to us as
part of a couple.
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More Than a Single Option
The options available to single women are virtually the
same as for our partnered and married patients. We are
happy to help you procure donor semen and undergo
artificial insemination (AI) if initial screening indicates
your fertility level is without problem. Or if tests
indicate a need for additional treatment, such as for
ovulatory disorders or blocked fallopian tubes, we will
discuss alternatives that may include medication,
surgery, or in vitro fertilization (IVF).
It is, indeed, a different world. Thanks to assisted
reproductive technology, being a single woman is no
longer reason enough to let your chances at
motherhood slip away with time. As a physician, I
appreciate the ASRM keeping up with changing times
and for stating plainly the importance of avoiding
discrimination within professional practice. As a proud
mom and wife, I applaud those women who are
choosing to build their families when they feel the time
is right.
Sincerely,
Sonja B. Kristiansen, MD
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