related_results_labels({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5813489507942316135"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-12-20T19:26:16.875-06:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Leave the lights on"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"Science and Catholic faith"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://ginkgo100.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5813489507942316135/posts/default/-/culture?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d3"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://ginkgo100.blogspot.com/search/label/culture"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5813489507942316135/posts/default/-/culture/-/culture?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d4\u0026max-results\u003d3"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ginkgo100"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/01871889955884253147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"15"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"3"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5813489507942316135.post-2622973410265795395"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-05T20:55:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-05T21:16:06.266-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"opinions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mental health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"culture"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"psychology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"marketing"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"cynicism"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"media"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"women's rights"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Women's Health and Other Shameful Women's Magazines"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The blog \u003ca href\u003d\"http://psychcentral.com/blog/\"\u003eWorld of Psychology\u003c/a\u003e published an excellent post by Margarita Tartakovsky that \u003ca href\u003d\"http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/06/03/minding-the-magazines-examining-an-editors-letter/\"\u003eexamined an atrocious \"editor's letter\"\u003c/a\u003e that recently appeared in the chick mag \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eWomen's Health\u003c/span\u003e.  The letter, by editor-in-chief Michele Promaulayko, was an abysmal failure in women's ongoing search for dignity in a world that demeans us at every turn.  You can go over to World of Psychology to read the heinous text, then the five insightful criticisms of it made by Ms. Tartakovsky.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI cannot contain within myself a sixth criticism that was no doubt omitted only due to lack of space (really, a lot more than just five criticisms could have been made, but that would have required a whole series of blog posts).  Ms. Promaulayko boasts, \"We came up with a plan to help you look great naked—or in a barely there swimsuit.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhy exactly, Ms. Promaulayko, should women be so eager to parade around naked—or nearly so—in public?  You did not say \"nude,\" which implies a certain dignity in the natural human form—you said \"naked,\" which is a much more sordidly suggestive word.  Why should we do this?  Because modern women should have no self-respect whatsoever?  Because we should have no sense of modesty, nor view our bodies as temples?  Is it because you feel it's important to women's health to manipulate and frustrate men (not to mention, the Catholic in me must add, tempt them to sin), or to to play petty games of intimidation with other women?  Really, Ms. Promaulayko.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnd no, the answer is not \"it's encoded in our DNA.\"\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5813489507942316135-2622973410265795395?l\u003dginkgo100.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://ginkgo100.blogspot.com/feeds/2622973410265795395/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d5813489507942316135\u0026postID\u003d2622973410265795395\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5813489507942316135/posts/default/2622973410265795395"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5813489507942316135/posts/default/2622973410265795395"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://ginkgo100.blogspot.com/2009/06/womens-health-and-other-shameful-womens.html","title":"\u003ci\u003eWomen's Health\u003c/i\u003e and Other Shameful Women's Magazines"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ginkgo100"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/01871889955884253147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"10586589345248242200"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5813489507942316135.post-3253593934300910952"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-03T07:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-03T07:00:01.670-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"culture"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"clarifying the record"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"blogs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"technology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"health care"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"diseases"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"family"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Natural infertility treatments v. the IVF band-aid"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GQ6M9d5gRHw/Sh8fJGX_H9I/AAAAAAAABRo/DrgTzf3zJ4w/s1600-h/test+tube+baby.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GQ6M9d5gRHw/Sh8fJGX_H9I/AAAAAAAABRo/DrgTzf3zJ4w/s320/test+tube+baby.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341021924275199954\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eIn a culture that promotes alternative medicine, natural childbirth, and sometimes-bizarre dietary supplements, it seems strange that natural infertility treatments are not well-known. A natural infertility treatment is not necessarily alternative medicine, but rather a conventional-medicine approach that seeks to cure the underlying cause of infertility, allowing natural conception.  It stands in contrast to assisted reproductive technology such as \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ein vitro\u003c/span\u003e fertilization (IVF), which is stick a \"band-aid\" solution that does nothing about the underlying causes of fertility problems.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhy is assisted reproductive technology the current standard of care for infertility?  If you type \"fertility treatment\" into Wikipedia, you are redirected to \"assisted reproductive technology.\"  Wikipedia, being written collaboratively by people around the world, reflects the biases and attitudes of those people.  Fertility drugs and IVF are what people think of when they think about infertility treatments.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI think the reason IVF is so popular — despite its astronomical cost and mediocre success rate (only 1 in 3 attempts results in a live birth) — is because it is a \"magic pill\" approach.  It is a silver bullet, a straightforward process left in the hands of doctors.  Natural fertility treatments are more complicated because they start with diagnostics, rather than jumping immediately into treatment.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAmong the diagnostic steps used in natural fertility treatments for women are ultrasound, laparoscopy, and sonohysterosalpingography (SHSG) to look for structural problems in the reproductive organs, as well as hormone level checks.  During her menstrual cycle, a woman's estrogen and progesterone levels can change significantly in as little as 24 hours, so daily or every-other-day tests are best.  Any underlying disease or structural abnormality that is uncovered is treated to increase the odds of a naturally conceived pregnancy.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHow successful is natural infertility treatment compared to assisted reproductive technology?  IVF has a maximum success (pregnancy) rate well under 50% (for 27-year-old women), with an average success rate closer to 35%.  Statistics for live birth are even worse, with an average of only about 27% of attempts resulting in live births.  That means that an average of 8% of attempts result in a miscarriage or stillbirth (or, if the fetus is imperfect, abortion).  The poor success rates reflect, in part, the fact that over 50% of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.marymeetsdolly.com/blog/index.php?/archives/811-Majority-of-IVF-embryos-abnormal.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eembryos conceived \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ein vitro\u003c/span\u003e have chromosomal abnormalities\u003c/a\u003e, as reported by Rebecca Taylor of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.marymeetsdolly.com/blog/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eMary Meets Dolly\u003c/a\u003e.  Natural fertility technology also has treatments for male infertility.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAccording to the Pope Paul VI institute, a major proponent of natural infertility treatment, so-called \"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.naprotechnology.com/\"\u003enatural reproductive technology\u003c/a\u003e\" has higher success rates than IVF for various infertility diagnoses.   These results are both statistically significant (i.e. not due to chance) and personally significant (i.e. they're a \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003elot\u003c/span\u003e higher).  For example, for a diagnosis of endometriosis, IVF has a success (pregnancy) rate of about 21%, while natural reproductive treatment has a success rate of about 57%.   It reports a 37% success rate for tubal occlusion compared to IVF's 27%.  The whopping 82% success rate reported for natural fertility treatment of anovulation (not producing mature eggs) may be due to straightforward treatment of the most obvious cause of anovulation, hormonal insufficiency (although I am speculating here).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI find it amazing that natural treatments for infertility are not better-known, even though they are more effective than current approaches. That's right: for infertile couples, it is more effective to try to conceive a baby the way nature always has than to inject a sperm into an egg under a microscope, with less chance of complications like chromosomal abnormalities and multiple gestation.  Who wouldn't choose that first, if they knew it was available?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eImage credit:  \"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/moyix/2353445346/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eTest tube baby\u003c/a\u003e\" by Brendan Dolan-Gavitt. (CC) Some rights reserved.\u003c/span\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5813489507942316135-3253593934300910952?l\u003dginkgo100.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://ginkgo100.blogspot.com/feeds/3253593934300910952/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d5813489507942316135\u0026postID\u003d3253593934300910952\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5813489507942316135/posts/default/3253593934300910952"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5813489507942316135/posts/default/3253593934300910952"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://ginkgo100.blogspot.com/2009/06/natural-infertility-treatments-v-ivf.html","title":"Natural infertility treatments v. the IVF band-aid"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ginkgo100"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/01871889955884253147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"10586589345248242200"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GQ6M9d5gRHw/Sh8fJGX_H9I/AAAAAAAABRo/DrgTzf3zJ4w/s72-c/test+tube+baby.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5813489507942316135.post-1817271211030770141"},"published":{"$t":"2009-05-31T10:57:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-05-31T12:52:13.841-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"opinions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"culture"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"clarifying the record"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"explanations"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"blogs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ethics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"catholic life"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"family"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"faith"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Are parents selfish if they have a big family?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ch3\u003eWhy do people think it's selfish to have lots of kids?\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRecently there was a bit of a dust-up in the combox at my sister's blog, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.milehimama.com/\"\u003eMama Says\u003c/a\u003e*, in which one commenter in particular charged that only selfish parents have big families. Having lots of kids (eight, in this case) allegedly is harmful to the older children in the family.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThis is a mainstream attitude in modern American culture. Big families are viewed with scorn and derision, the parents accused of being selfish because either (a) they are dividing their love and attention among too many kids, (b) they are contributing to overpopulation, (c) they are using more than their share of natural resources, or (d) all of the above.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs a cradle Catholic, I have known a lot of big families.  I even grew up in one, as the oldest of a brood of eight. But I have yet to meet a big family with selfish parents who are focused on fulfilling their own desires at the expense of either their family or our larger society.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI think this attitude stems from the discomfort people feel when they see large families.  They cannot imagine themselves having a baseball team's worth of children, so they feel subconsciously threatened when they see one. That statement is not intended to be judgmental; it's human nature, and everyone experiences feelings like that when confronted with behavior that falls outside of social norms.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhy it is not selfish to have a big family\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLet me present a picture of a typical big family.  This fictional family has two parents and a startling number of kids.  They have a strong religious faith, perhaps Catholic or Mormon or Evangelical.  The parents at times feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of people underfoot.  They know they could easily take steps to prevent themselves from having so many children, but they don't, because they have decided to trust God.  They see each kid as a gift and have faith that God will provide for the kids he gave them.   This is not a decision made lightly.  This is radical, and they know it.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAll the members of the family make a lot of sacrifices in order to follow this path.  Maybe the kids aren't in as many organized activities, sports, and lessons as most of their peers.  Maybe they go to restaurants less often, take fewer vacations, and share bedrooms.  Maybe the younger kids rarely see a new article of clothing, being clad instead in hand-me-downs.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut they also have a lot of privileges that their peers will never know.  They are never lonely.  Their house is the neighborhood social hub for the 18-and-under set.  They probably have a groupie or two, lonely children with no siblings whose parents work all day.  They have a precocious understanding of the important things in life, like love and sharing.  The older ones help their parents and learn child-care skills.  They all learn practical life skills by doing chores, such as how to do laundry.  They see what it is like to really live according to one's ideals and values.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThey never have to hear their parents say that children are burdens, or that they are \"so glad\" they're done having kids.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnd above all, they never, ever feel unloved.  Big families like to repeat the saying that \"love doesn't divide, it multiplies.\"  It's more than a cute saying, it's \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eliterally\u003c/span\u003e true: the kids all love each other.  Each new baby has a live-in fan club.  Each older child has a crowd of younger devotees who think he is \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ethe \u003c/span\u003ecoolest person on the planet.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe truth is, every parent of a crowd has no choice but to give of the deepest part of themselves, every single day.  They are practically \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eforced\u003c/span\u003e to be unselfish. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSelfish parents could not do this job.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:85%;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003e* (cough cough) Which I helped design, by the way (ahem) not that I'm boasting or anything, but I have mad skillz don't I? Nevermind that I didn't do most of the work.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5813489507942316135-1817271211030770141?l\u003dginkgo100.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://ginkgo100.blogspot.com/feeds/1817271211030770141/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d5813489507942316135\u0026postID\u003d1817271211030770141\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5813489507942316135/posts/default/1817271211030770141"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5813489507942316135/posts/default/1817271211030770141"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://ginkgo100.blogspot.com/2009/05/are-parents-selfish-if-they-have-big.html","title":"Are parents selfish if they have a big family?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ginkgo100"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/01871889955884253147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"10586589345248242200"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}}]}});