FAQs

Welcome to F.I.R.M. Blogs

I hope to post blog entries on a regular basis to help to answer some of the common questions that we have been asked by patients regarding various subjects in the field of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility. This is in an effort to help to provide clear explanations of various conditions, and to counter a lot of mis-information that patients can sometimes receive from other sources such as the internet, friends, or other health professionals. It should be recognized that each patient is in a separate situation which can justify various treatment options. There is not a single right or wrong way to treat each person. The information in these postings is a general educated view that is supported by factual medical literature. I strive to keep this as well as my own knowledge as up to date in the field as possible. Though these opinions are generally held by all of the physicians at the FIRM, understand that slight differences of management may occur depending on a patient’s individual situation. I welcome new questions that can serve as future blog topics.

Sincerely,

Travis W. McCoy, MD

Smoking and Fertility

By drmccoy | Published: February 25, 2012
Most patients know not to smoke, don’t they? Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean that they (and their partners) don’t smoke, or that they tell the truth to their doc, or that they aren’t exposed to significant amounts of secondhand smoke. Approximately 30% of reproductive age women and 35% of reproductive age men in the [...]
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What To Expect On Your First Infertility Visit

By Kevin L. Winslow, M.D., P.A. | Published: February 23, 2012
Approximately 40% of infertility is related to the female, 30% to the male – in 20% there may be a combined problem (10% of infertility is unexplained).  For that reason patients are encouraged to come in as a couple to review both partners’ history.  The female history will focus on the menstrual cycle, which gives [...]
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Why Can’t I Have Another Baby?

By Kevin L. Winslow, M.D., P.A. | Published: November 30, 2011
Almost half of infertility occurs following an initial pregnancy that may have occurred soon after discontinuing contraception.  This problem, known as secondary infertility, is often overlooked or downplayed by physicians who see these patients as being fertile and are then reluctant to evaluate or treat.  Maternal age and the duration of secondary infertility are critical [...]
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Fertility Treatment and Ovarian Tumor Risk

By drmccoy | Published: November 3, 2011
Recent headlines have reported that IVF treatment is linked to ovarian tumors based on a recently published study. The findings are not different than was was reported over 10 years ago, and media coverage often misleads the public into making assumptions that may not be true. Many studies in the past have reported positive or [...]
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How to Evaluate an IVF Program with 5 Important Questions

By Kevin L. Winslow, M.D., P.A. | Published: September 23, 2011
Five of the Most Important Questions to Ask 1)  Ask to see the program’s official CDC pregnancy statistics. The Wyden Bill requires that all IVF programs report their results to the CDC yearly.  While this is a law, it is not enforced by any significant penalty.  Treatment centers that do not report their data know [...]
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Biological Clock

By Kevin L. Winslow, M.D., P.A. | Published: September 6, 2011
A female has the maximum number of eggs she will ever have as a fetus in utero at 20 weeks gestation, approximately 20 million.  During the last 20 weeks of in utero development, over 90% of the eggs will be lost, forming scars in the ovary.  At the time of birth, there are about a [...]
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Video- How Much Does Infertility Treatment Cost?

By drmccoy | Published: September 3, 2011
In this video, Dr. Michael L. Freeman from the Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine addresses the cost of infertility treatment. FIRM Costs for IVF can be found here. Before proceeding with infertility treatment, in particular with IVF, ask for all the costs to be given up front. We will provide you with a written statement [...]
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Video- The Infertility Evaluation

By drmccoy | Published: September 1, 2011
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Video- When is it time for infertility treatment?

By drmccoy | Published: August 31, 2011
In this video Dr. Michael L. Freeman from the Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine discusses when it is appropriate to investigate and treat infertility.
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Video- Male Infertility

By drmccoy | Published: August 29, 2011
In this video, Dr. Travis W. McCoy from the Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine discusses the male infertility evaluation and treatment process.
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