Hello, I’m Kara.
Kara Raubenheimer · Embryologist · MSc Medical Physiology
“My goal is to explain fertility in language that makes sense.”
For 17 years, I have worked within the fertility field and have seen how overwhelming fertility information can become.
People are often expected to understand complicated medical terminology at exactly the time they may already be feeling uncertain, anxious or emotionally exhausted.
I created Fertility with Kara to help change that. My goal is to explain fertility in language that makes sense.
Here we talk about reproductive biology, fertility investigations, treatment terminology and some of the common questions people ask about fertility.
I believe better information can help people have better conversations with their healthcare professionals and feel more informed about the decisions in front of them.
Kara Raubenheimer
From the laboratory to plain language
Kara Raubenheimer is a Reproductive Biologist registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), with 17 years of experience and a master’s degree in medical physiology from Stellenbosch University.
Her training began at Tshwane University of Technology, where she earned a National Diploma in Clinical Technology cum laude, followed by a BTech in Clinical Technology at the Central University of Technology, Free State.
In 2010 she won the Chancellor’s Medal for science.
Reproductive science runs through Kara’s work: how eggs and sperm are assessed in the laboratory, how sperm are prepared for treatment, and what those findings say about the chance of success. It is the same science that sits behind the tests and treatments explained on this site.
As an Embryologist, she created Fertility with Kara to bring that knowledge out of the laboratory, so that the words you hear at an appointment already make sense before you walk in.
- HPCSA Registered Reproductive BiologistHealth Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), Clinical Technology
- 2016 MSc in Medical PhysiologyStellenbosch University
- 2011 BTech in Clinical TechnologyCentral University of Technology, Free State
- 2009 National Diploma in Clinical Technology cum laudeTshwane University of Technology
- What predicts treatment successShe studied thousands of IUI and IVF/ICSI treatment cycles at Genesis Reproductive Centre and Wilgers Infertility Clinic, private fertility laboratories in South Africa, comparing oocyte meiotic spindles and morphology, as well as semen preparation techniques, sperm shape and DNA integrity, as indicators of assisted reproductive success.
- A man’s age and sperm DNAShe has also designed research in reproductive biology on whether a man’s age and the integrity of sperm DNA relate to fertility and treatment outcomes.
What you can expect here
- Clear explanations of what is known, and what is still uncertain
- Information based on recognised professional guidance
- Questions you can take to your own healthcare team
- Respect for how emotional this can be
- Promises that anything “will definitely work”
- Miracle cures or supplements sold as solutions
- A replacement for your own doctor’s assessment
- Fear-based statistics or clinic advertising
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The ebook series · four books in review
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