Random Facts

I received my Summer 2010 copy of the U of T Magazine in the mail yesterday and while I almost never flip through them, the small hamster print that read "Beijing Diary" caught my eye so I brought it to work. This is probably the reason why I still subscribe to the magazine that seems like a scientific journal more than a casual read to most people: I do read some of it... in a blue moon...

I flipped through the magazine scanning the pages and pages of print just barely big enough for hamsters to read (I guess you can probably read it unaided before the age of 40, I suppose) and came across an interesting science article (which happen to be the feature of this issue, not Beijing Diary LOL) and came across these somewhat intriguing facts about human infertility:

• Toronto has one of the country's highest concentrations of infertility experts (ya mun, we are the 權威!)
  
• Approximately one in six couples are affected by infertility
• Cancer treatments (chemotherapy, radiation and surgery) can compromise fertility
  
• Almost half of all pregnancies miscarry before six weeks (wah, that's a high number)
• Researchers identified more than 2,000 different proteins in semen, some of which may be markers for everything from prostate cancer to infertility
• Freezing sperm can leave it viable for at least 20 years but freezing eggs is more of a challenge
• Pierre Trudeau fathered a daughter at 71
  
• Oldest lady had twins at 66, who then died of cancer before her twins turned 3
• Studies show a higher rate of schizophrenia, autism, Down syndrome and other birth defects in children of older men, independent of mother's age
• Cost of each IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatment cycle is about $10,000 (so if it doesn't work this month, fork over another 10 big ones next month!)
  
• Quebec will fund up to three IVF cycles per patient (why just Quebec?!? While the rest of the country has to pitch it over)
• Women over the age of 41 has less than a 10 percent chance per IVF cycle of having a baby
  

- source: Parents - At Last!, Summer 2010 feature article, U of T Magazine

Flipping along, this book caught my eye:

ngap! What are you looking at?!? ngap!!