In this episode of The Repro Files, Elizabeth and AnnMarie sit down with Dr. Eric Chang, DO, a reproductive endocrinologist with CNY Fertility in Rochester, New York, to explore what it truly means to care for patients when the odds are not in their favor. Dr. Chang shares his personal journey into medicine, why he chose osteopathic training and how he ultimately found his calling in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

The conversation centers on Dr. Chang’s dedication to patients of advanced maternal age, a group often reduced to statistics rather than seen as whole people. Together, they discuss how osteopathic principles shape his approach to fertility care, how he balances honesty with compassion and why “trying” does not mean making promises but does mean refusing to give up on patients prematurely.

This episode offers an inside look at the emotional and ethical realities of fertility medicine, including systemic barriers, age-based cutoffs and the quiet courage it takes for physicians to stay engaged even when outcomes are uncertain. For patients and providers alike, this is a powerful reminder that dignity, effort and individualized care still matter in reproductive medicine.

About Dr. Eric Chang:

Dr. Eric Chang is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and a Diplomate of the American Osteopathic Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology who practices at CNY Fertility, serving the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and greater upstate New York region.

He earned his medical degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed specialized training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. As a DO, Dr. Chang integrates osteopathic principles of holistic care with advanced reproductive medicine, focusing on personalized fertility treatment for patients across a wide range of diagnoses.

Dr. Chang works with individuals navigating complex fertility challenges, including those of advanced maternal age, and aims to provide comprehensive, compassionate care tailored to each patient’s unique journey.

A recent New York Times Magazine investigation exposed a disturbing reality within parts of the global surrogacy industry: women recruited under false pretenses, coerced across borders and exploited through loosely regulated reproductive labor arrangements.

In this episode of The Repro Files, nurse advocates Elizabeth Lee and AnnMarie Luft unpack what happens when surrogacy moves from ethical family building into something far darker. We examine how fragmented laws, reproductive tourism and profit-driven intermediaries create conditions where exploitation and even trafficking can occur.

This is a pro-ethics, pro-patient and pro-accountability conversation about where the system fails and what reproductive medicine must confront head-on.

This week, Elizabeth and Ann Marie break down one of the most chaotic stretches in reproductive health news. From Congress quietly stripping IVF coverage for military families to men literally placing bets on WNBA players’ menstrual cycles, America continues to prove it is not serious about reproductive autonomy.

We get into:
• The NDAA IVF debacle and why military families are being left behind
• Congressional hypocrisy on IVF coverage
• What actually happened to Trump’s so-called IVF plan
• Men using menstrual cycle assumptions for gambling analysis
• The actual science on cycle phase and athletic performance
• Ohio’s push to mandate the medically inaccurate “Baby Olivia” video
• South Carolina’s near passage of an extreme bill criminalizing abortion, IUDs, and IVF

Listen in today to hear evidence-based insight into why these issues matter for families everywhere.

Ever been told to eat pineapple core before transfer? Lie flat for 20 minutes? Wave essential oils toward your cervix?

Welcome to the wild world of fertility urban legends. In this episode, Elizabeth and AnnMarie break down the funniest, strangest, and most persistent myths they’ve heard in clinic and online, then separate fact from fiction with ASRM-aligned science.

Come for the chaos, stay for the comedy — and leave knowing what actually matters in your fertility journey.

The holidays can be a time of light, ritual, and family. They can also be a season of sharp grief for anyone navigating infertility, miscarriage, IVF cycles or infant loss.

In this episode, Elizabeth and Ann Marie unpack the emotional, clinical and relational pressures that collide during this time of year and offer evidence-informed strategies to approach the season with gentleness, boundaries and support.

Drawing on ASRM guidance on the psychological impact of infertility and peer-reviewed data showing that infertility-related distress rivals that seen in other major medical conditions, this episode explores why holiday environments intensify grief, how to respond to invasive questions, and how to prepare if you are cycling or coping with loss. It also provides scripts, coping tools and practical logistical planning to help listeners design a holiday season that protects their mental and emotional health.

Whether you are personally walking this path or supporting someone who is, this conversation aims to validate the complexity of holiday grief and provide a framework for navigating the weeks ahead with intention, clarity and compassion.

In this powerful Men’s Health Month episode, Elizabeth and Ann Marie pull back the curtain on the issues men face but rarely discuss. From the silent rise of cardiovascular disease and diabetes to the deep connections between testosterone, metabolic health, mental wellness, and fertility, this conversation offers an evidence-driven and compassionate look at men’s whole-person health.

Listeners will learn why sperm health reflects overall health, how stress and identity shape physical outcomes, and what fertility clinics can do to support men with dignity.

The episode breaks down lifestyle factors, hormonal balance, the mental health crisis among men, and the global decline in sperm counts with clarity and empathy.

Whether you’re a man looking for answers, a partner hoping to start meaningful conversations, or a fertility professional seeking a deeper understanding of male health, this episode gives you the science and the human insight you need.

This week, AnnMarie and Elizabeth are back from an unforgettable trip to San Antonio for the 2025 ASRM Scientific Congress & Expo — and they’re spilling all the tea!

From the science that moved them to the conversations that changed them, the hosts share their favorite sessions, big takeaways, and a few hilarious behind-the-scenes moments (including what really happens when thousands of fertility professionals descend on the River Walk).

They also reflect on how the field is evolving, why collaboration across disciplines matters now more than ever, and how it felt to see reproductive medicine at its most united, inspired, and determined.

Grab your coffee (or your conference lanyard), because this one’s a mix of gratitude, gossip, and a genuine love for the work fertility professionals do.

In this powerful pre-ASRM 2025 episode, hosts Elizabeth Lee and AnnMarie Luft unpack one of the most consequential moments in reproductive medicine’s modern history.

With the field under mounting political, economic, and ideological pressure, they break down the week’s biggest headlines — from new federal guidance on fertility coverage to EMD Serono’s sweeping drug discounts — and what those moves really mean for patients and providers.

Building on Elizabeth’s white paper and upcoming presentation, Defending the Science of Reproductive Medicine, this conversation dives deep into how misinformation, profit motives, and ideology are reshaping access to care — and how clinicians can fight back with data, empathy, and courage.

From patent games that keep fertility medications unaffordable to political movements redefining embryos as “persons,” Elizabeth and AnnMarie explore the urgent need to protect evidence-based medicine from ideological interference. They call for reform rooted in transparency, coverage equity, and patient-centered ethics — reminding us that science doesn’t defend itself. People do.

Listeners will come away informed, inspired, and ready to join the movement to safeguard reproductive autonomy.

📍 Recorded the week before ASRM 2025 in San Antonio, Texas

💡 Key quote: “When ideology masquerades as medicine, patients lose time, moneyand often their only chance at parenthood.”

🎧 Tune in and join the conversation using #ASRM2025, #TheReproFiles and #DefendScience

In this candid, evidence-based conversation, Elizabeth and AnnMarie dive into one of the most practical and empowering topics in reproductive health - contraception.

From abstinence to IUDs and everything in between, they explore how knowledge, choice and autonomy intersect in planning one’s reproductive future.

Together, they break down:

• Why informed decision-making is essential to reproductive autonomy
• The full spectrum of contraceptive options — hormonal, non-hormonal, and permanent
• Common myths and real-world effectiveness rates
• The importance of comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education
• ASRM and ESHRE recommendations for contraceptive counseling and access
• How systemic inequities and policy gaps still shape who gets to make empowered choices

With humor, data, and compassion, Elizabeth and AnnMarie guide listeners through the science and the stigma ... debunking misconceptions, sharing clinical insight and calling for equity in reproductive healthcare.

Because planning your parenthood shouldn’t be political — it should be personal, informed, and supported by science.

Listen if you want to understand your contraceptive options, learn how to talk to your teen (or your partner) about birth control, or simply explore how evidence-based medicine and reproductive justice intersect.

References:
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Practice Committee Guidelines; European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Position Statements on Contraceptive Care; Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Studies on Comprehensive Sex Education.

It’s the start of LGBTQ+ History Month, and we’re diving headfirst into the intersections of reproductive justice, queer family building, and the battles that still lie ahead.

In this episode of The Repro Files, Elizabeth and AnnMarie sit down with Lis Regula — advocate, educator, author, and policy director at Men Having Babies, a nonprofit helping gay men worldwide pursue parenthood through surrogacy and advocacy.

Together we tackle the big questions:

• Has the LGBTQ+ community truly secured a place at the reproductive rights table?
• How are movements like “Restorative Reproductive Medicine” working to exclude queer families?
• What legal risks could emerge if Obergefell v. Hodges were ever overturned?
• Why are costs such an overwhelming barrier for same-sex couples pursuing parenthood, and how is Men Having Babies fighting to change that?
• What does inclusive sex education really look like in an era of book bans, “parental rights” laws, and drag show restrictions?
  

Lis brings candor, evidence, and lived experience to a conversation that spans policy, culture, and the universal drive to build a family.