RMA of New York Leads With Fifteen Presentations at 2023 Annual ASRM Conference

RMA of New York's innovative research focuses on patient access to reproductive care and advancing science for infertility treatment

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and RMA of New York, a US Fertility practice, proudly present fifteen original scientific abstracts this week at the 79th annual American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Research topics include access to care and treatment among same sex female couples following recent New York State legislative changes, trends among veterans seeking reproductive health care, and the association between embryonic mosaicism and the method of spermatozoa recovery.

Dr. Alan Copperman, Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and CEO of RMA of New York, reflects on the research conducted over the past year; "I am so proud of our physicians and scientists for their diligence, inquisitiveness, and discovery. Our team's annual ASRM research contributions help improve care on a global level. From the molecular to the patient to the community, our understanding of reproductive science and our commitment to providing access to care is creating meaningful, positive impact."

In early 2021, New York State (NYS) passed the Circular Letter No. 3, a health insurance law addendum which not only expanded the definition of infertility to include members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but also allowed for greater insurance coverage of infertility services. Dr. Samantha Estevez, a third-year Fellow at RMA of New York, sought to evaluate the effect of this legislation on the utilization of IVF and co-IVF by same sex female couples. Upon multivariate analysis, it was found that following the passage of more inclusive New York State legislation, same sex female couples initiated IVF and co-IVF 250 days earlier than previously.

RMA of New York's clinical and research team examined access to care among another population – active duty and veteran service members. To better understand trends in military service members seeking fertility care, Dr. Estevez initiated a study that retrospectively evaluated the service history, medical history, and access to care of 112 military service members.  From 2003 to 2009, the average number of consults by military service members was 2.86 per year but from 2010 to 2022, this increased to 7.23 consults per year. 

"Both of these studies are an opportunity to better understand the diverse patient population building their families with RMA of New York and at fertility centers across the country. By purposefully seeking to learn more about these patients, their backgrounds, motivators, and care decisions, we can develop ways to better serve them while providing the highest quality of care," notes Dr. Estevez. 

Finally, a study led by Dr. Tamar Alkon examining the relationship between sperm recovery and embryonic mosaicism in patients with male factor infertility was honored with this year's ASRM Scientific Congress Prize Paper award. Despite a higher mosaicism rate in patients with severe male factor infertility, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Dr. Alkon demonstrated that among severe male factor couples undergoing IVF/PGT with TESE versus fresh ejaculate, the method of spermatozoa recovery did not appear to influence the rate of embryonic mosaicism.

Dr. Erkan Buyuk, Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship Program, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist at RMA of New York, and senior author on the prize paper reflects; "Embryonic mosaicism seems to occur commonly in human embryos, however, factors predisposing to mosaicism are poorly understood. In our study, we showed that the sperm collection method, by ejaculate vs. testicular biopsy, does not affect the rate of embryo mosaicism. The couples can be assured that the way sperm is collected will not cause mosaicism in their embryos." 

These studies, and the other abstracts being presented at the ASRM congress, underscore RMA of New York's commitment to improving patient care through evidence-based medicine and advancing science for the treatment of infertility.

About RMA of New York
RMA of New York is widely recognized as a global leader in state-of-the-art reproductive medicine and serves as the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Led by an integrated team of physicians and scientists with extensive reproductive endocrinology, infertility, and embryology training and experience, RMA of New York is renowned for its pioneering research in the field and for delivering high IVF success rates. For over two decades, the physicians of RMA of New York have consistently been distinguished as Top Doctors and Super Doctors by Castle Connolly and New York Magazine. Headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, RMA of New York has fertility clinic locations throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Westchester, Long Island and recently joined US Fertility and its network of premier reproductive medicine practices. For more information, please visit www.rmany.com or find RMA of New York on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

About US Fertility 
US Fertility, the nation's largest partnership of physician-owned and physician-led top-tier fertility practices, along with Ovation Fertility, a national network of premier IVF laboratories, are united under a shared mission to deliver the joy of parenthood through advanced reproductive medicine and innovative science. To date, US Fertility and Ovation Fertility practices have helped more than 225,000 individuals and couples build their families using assisted reproductive technology. US Fertility supports over 200 physicians by leveraging collective expertise, driving innovation, and by providing advanced business and digital solutions that streamline and enhance the delivery of exceptional patient care. Together with a growing suite of life science services, US Fertility is expanding access to the highest quality reproductive health care across over 100 clinic locations and 32 IVF laboratories. Visit USFertility.com for more information.  

Media Contact:
Michelle Aselta
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SOURCE RMA of New York