Family Law & Fertility Law Blog | Louisa Ghevaert Associates

Can Air Pollution Affect My Fertility?

A groundbreaking study presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology's (ESHRE) 40th Annual Meeting in Amsterdam (7-10 July 2024) shows that exposure to air pollution can significantly decrease the chance of a live birth after IVF treatment by 38 percent. It found that air pollution's negative impact on fertility starts before conception by disrupting egg development and quality. This adds to previous findings that microscopic soot particles travel through the bloodstream into the ovaries and placenta leading to increased miscarriage rates and premature births.

Resolution’s Modern Families Forum 2024

Louisa Ghevaert attended Resolution's Modern Families Forum 2024 on 20 June 2024 and had the privilege of meeting Baroness Brenda Hale of Richmond DBE and listening to her keynote address on the legal recognition of “family” from the 1960s to the present day. Lady Hale successfully broke through the glass ceiling and was the first woman President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom from 2017 until her retirement in 2020. In meeting Lady Hale, Louisa was privileged to discuss her legal involvement and the transformational outcome of Whittington Hospital NHS Trust v XX [2020] UKSC 14, which was Lady Hale's last case in the Supreme Court and enabled the recovery of damages for fertility treatment, donor conception and surrogacy following medical negligence.

Fertility Show 2024 London Olympia

Louisa Ghevaert was delighted to attend the Fertility Show at London Olympia over 18 - 19 May 2024, which brought together a range of experts from around the world all committed to improving fertility and healthcare outcomes. The Fertility Show had over 80 exhibitors including fertility clinics, egg and sperm banks, experts in fertility and health checks, genetic testing, nutrition, pregnancy and birth, counsellors and a full schedule of expert speakers and panel discussions to help inform and empower prospective parents about their family building. It also showcased the latest technological advances across the fertility sector.

Gender Dysphoria, Puberty Blockers and Hormone Replacement Therapy: Treatment of A Young Person

Gender dsyphoria can raise challenging issues emotionally, medically and legally when individuals seek to transition from female to male, male to female or assume a non-binary identity. The recent gender dysphoria case involving a young person aged 16 1/2 seeking cross-hormone therapy treatment Re J (Transgender: Puberty Blocker and Hormone Replacement Therapy) [2024] EWHC 922 brings into sharp focus complex and evolving issues around capacity and consent to medical treatment and the extent to which the court should intervene and override consent by an over-16-year-old but under 18-year-old.

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