International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

The female body has an in-built system which rejects sperm that it does not think will create a pregnancy, researchers have found.

Within the female reproductive system there is something that assesses to see whether the male's sperm is likely to fertilise the eggs, resulting in a pregnancy, reports ABC News.

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) babies are almost twice as likely to suffer birth defects compared with children conceived naturally, a new study has revealed.

Test-tube babies have a higher risk of being born with heart problems and malformed reproductive systems, the research, which examined more than 15,000 births in France from 2003 to 2007, has found.

How fertile a person is can be dictated by personality, a new study has revealed.

Women who are neurotic and extrovert men are more likely to produce more children in societies with traditionally high birth rates, researchers from the University of Sheffield in the UK found.

Women over the age of 40 who are struggling to get pregnant have been advised to consider a fertility treatment that sees embryos placed directly into the fallopian tube.

John Jain of Santa Monica Fertility Specialists highlighted the potential benefits of Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (Zift) as an alternative to in-vitro fertilisation.

A new fertility treatment may be developed as scientists have discovered a means to stimulate sex hormones.

Researchers from Imperial College London found that injecting women with the hormone kisspeptin - a product of the KISS-1 gene and regulator of reproductive function - can address infertility.

Uterine fibroid embolisation (UFE) is more favourable to fertility than previously thought, scientists have concluded.

A study presented at a meeting of the Society of International Radiology compared the treatment to surgical myomectomy in terms of success rates for women who want to conceive.

Chinese herbal medicines and acupuncture used alongside IVF do not help a woman's chances of getting pregnant, according to experts.

No proof has been found by the British Fertility Society (BFS) that the complementary treatments can improve conception.

Women trying to get pregnant through fertility management treatments such as IVF may find alternative remedies like Chinese herbal medicines and acupuncture beneficial.

This is according to NHS consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Michael Dooley who noted that these therapies can have a direct impact on the effect of more conventional medication.

Boys that are born as a result of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) may inherit the infertility of their fathers, according to scientists.

A study carried out at the Institute of Child Health in London, UK, found that boys conceived using the type of fertility treatment often had short fingers, which is a trait associated with infertility.

Good relationship education has been shown to delay the point at which young people start having sex, it has been claimed.

Rebecca Findlay, a spokesperson for the UK Family Planning Association, said advice is "really important" because it can help avoid risky experimentation.