14 New Families & Health


3RD SEPTEMBER 2026 Family, reimagined


How changing society, reproductive science and one in six people’s fertility journeys are reshaping what family means today


Tere has never been a single definition of family. Yet today, the ways in which people build families are more diverse, more visible and perhaps more hopeful than ever before. Advances in reproductive science,


alongside changing social attitudes, mean there are now more ways to build a family than at any other time in history. Today, families are created through IVF, egg and sperm donation, surrogacy, adoption, fostering, same- sex parenting, blended families and single parenthood by choice. Every path is different, but each begins with the same thing — hope. According to the World Health


Organization, one in six people globally will


experience people families later,


making fertility one of today’s most significant public health challenges*. Alongside start


choosing to researchers are increasingly exploring how infertility,


environmental factors — including pollution,


endocrine-disrupting


chemicals and declining sperm health — may also be contributing to rising fertility issues worldwide. Having spent a decade navigating


infertility before becoming the mother of twin daughters through IVF, Tracey Bambrough, co-founder of IVFbabble, understands first- hand the emotional impact fertility challenges can have. Since


launching IVFbabble in


2016, Tracey and the team have helped millions of people worldwide through trusted fertility education, expert insight, patient stories and advocacy. Today, IVFbabble has evolved further with Babble Connect — integrated planning, connection and support features that help people move seamlessly from understanding fertility to confidently taking the next step. “When we created IVFbabble, our


mission was to ensure no one felt alone,” says Tracey. “As IVFbabble has grown, so have the needs of our readers. Babble Connect is simply


the next evolution of IVFbabble, bringing trusted guidance, practical tools and personalised support into the same place people already come for education and reassurance. Every family deserves respect, regardless of how it’s created, because what truly defines a family isn’t genetics — it’s love, resilience and hope.” IVFbabble helps people understand


fertility. Babble Connect helps them take the next step. Together, they support every stage of the fertility journey — from first questions to informed decisions — all within one trusted destination.


FAMILY VALUES AN ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE DISTRIBUTED WITH


E: info@ivfbabble.com Visit ivfbabble.com


Discover everything IVFbabble has to offer:


• Trusted fertility education & expert advice


• Babble Connect planning & support features


• Global clinic & expert search • IVF costs & fertility planning tools • Free personalised Fertility Hub


*FIND OUT MORE AT WHO.INT/HEALTH-TOPICS/INFERTILITY


What you need to know about enlarged prostate and prostate cancer


Urologist Professor Taimur Shah has expertise in a number of pioneering treatments for conditions including enlarged prostate and prostate cancer


Professor Taimur Shah is a


leading urologist in the UK and an internationally recognised clinical associate professor, researcher and educator,


specialising in prostate


cancer, focal therapy and robotic surgery. As an internationally recognised


expert, he’s helped


pioneer focal therapy treatments, including HIFU, Nanoknife (IRE) and cryotherapy.


What is the prostate? Te prostate is a small gland that sits under the bladder. When we pass urine, the urine passes through the prostate on its way out of the body. Te prostate helps with fertility and is an important organ. Sometimes it can become enlarged and cause urinary problems, and sometimes it can become cancerous.


What is an enlarged prostate? In all men, the prostate will slowly grow as they get older. As it grows, it can block the water pipe or enlarges into the bladder. When it starts to do this, men develop urinary symptoms such as difficulty passing urine, slow flow, straining to pass urine, going


to the toilet often, rushing to the toilet, dribbling and a feeling that they’re not emptying. Some men will also develop the need to pass urine at night. Tese symptoms can also be


related to the bladder or due to hormonal changes that happen as we get older, and a urologist or your GP can help decide what the cause behind the symptoms is and how best to treat them. Simple lifestyle changes can often


help improve urinary symptoms, such as: • Drinking more water (up to two litres daily)


• Reducing caffeine from tea, coffee, and fizzy drinks


• Doing more exercise • Losing weight • Trying not to drink too much water in the evenings before bed


If they still don’t improve, then


medications can help shrink the prostate and relax the bladder. Finally, surgery may be needed, particularly if the bladder isn’t emptying properly or if the kidneys are being affected. Tere are many types of surgery currently available, from the newest minimally invasive treatments, such as Rezum water vapour therapy, or more traditional transurethral resection of the prostate, called a TURP.


What about prostate cancer? Prostate cancer is unfortunately a very common cancer, and it can happen in men with and without any urinary symptoms. One in eight men nationally will be affected by prostate cancer in their lifetime. Te risk is even higher for black men or those who have a family member who’s had prostate, breast or ovarian cancer. Teir lifetime risk of getting prostate cancer is one in four. If prostate cancer is detected early,


it is curable, and most men with early prostate cancer will have a totally normal life expectancy. Te first thing to do is to get a prostate-specific


antigen or PSA


blood test through your urologist or GP. Patients with a raised PSA blood test need further testing. Traditionally, we used to examine the


prostate with our finger, but now the latest MRI technology is used to find cancer within the prostate. Many men understandably


worry about side effects from treatments for prostate cancer such as urinary leakage, incontinence, and erectile problems. Over the past 10 years, we’ve got better at treating the cancer and have many


new minimally invasive treatments available, such as focal therapy, including high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), irreversible electroporation (IRE/Nanoknife) and cryotherapyalongside improvements in traditional treatments such as nerve-sparing robotic surgery called robotic prostatectomy or stereotactic radiotherapy.


Hospitals covered: Cromwell Hospital, Bupa Canary Wharf, One Well Back, Imperial Private Health Care Face-to-Face or video consultations with review of your scans and biopsy reports are available. Please call or email to make an appointment: T: 020 3150 5038 E: admin@londonurologyonline.com londonurologyonline.com


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