Infertility Treatments – Which One Is Best For You?

There are many infertility treatments available to choose from. Below are short descriptions that can help you choose the treatment which will be best for you.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

In Vitro Fertilization is a medical procedure typically composed of 5 steps.

1. Stimulation of healthy egg cell development in the ovaries

2. Egg extraction

3. Sperm collection

4. Fertilization of egg and sperm under laboratory conditions

5. Embryo transfer

Like other medical procedures, In Vitro Fertilization carries some potential risks.

Stimulation of egg cell development may lead to hyperstimulation, a condition where the ovaries become swollen. You may even experience pain from your ovaries. Ovarian hyperstimulation can cause nausea, vomiting, a bloated feeling and sometimes lack of appetite. In severe cases, it can cause abdominal pain, severe vomiting, decreased urination, difficulty in breathing, discolored urine or abrupt weight gain.

You are at risk of anesthesia-related complications during the egg retrieval process in IVF and the laparoscopy procedure of collecting the eggs may result in slight bleeding, infection, bowel problems, bladder complications or blood vessel problems.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

In IVF, sperm and egg cells are placed in a petri dish to fertilize under laboratory conditions. The embryo is left to grow for a week and then transferred into the womb. In Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), on the other hand sperm is injected into the center of the egg cell to fertilize the egg. ICSI is often preferred to traditional IVF if the male donor’s sperm count is too low, or if the the sperm find it his not sufficiently strong to penetrate the egg cell, or if the sperm has motility problems. ICSI is also used when the man has blockages in his reproductive system that stop sperm from being ejaculated.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection has a success rate of fertilizing 50 % to 80 % of eggs which is very similar to the success rate of IVF. ICSI may fail if injecting sperm into the egg damages the egg cell in which case the egg will not be fertilized or develop into an embryo. The trouble with ICSI is, a human being instead of nature is choosing the sperm to fertilize the egg. This goes against natural selection which would take place in natural fertilization or with the help of IVF.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI)

This is a medical procedure also known as artificial insemination. Here, sperm is first collected from the male donor. It is then examined to check that it is viable for fertilization. Prior to insemination, the woman is usually given medication and other treatments to stimulate ovulation. When ovulation has occurred, the specially prepared sperm is then injected into the womb of the woman.

Not all intrauterine inseminations result in pregnancy and it is not uncommon to have multiple IUIs before finally getting pregnant. The success rate of a single IUI session is only between 5% and 25%, which makes it an expensive method, considering that each IUI session can cost anywhere from $500 to $1000.

Clomiphene citrate (Clomid)

Lack of ovulation is usually the main cause of infertility in women. Fertility medication consists of drugs that stimulate ovulation, such as Clomiphene citrate or Clomid which encourages ovulation by stimulating the pituitary gland. Clomid is taken orally and is commonly prescribed for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Clomid can lead to increased chances of having multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.)

Because all these methods of assisted reproductive technology (ART) are quite expensive and not without risks, it is best to rule out any other cause of your infertility before trying any of these medical procedures.

The use of Assisted Reproductive Technology can put you under significant financial, emotional and physical pressure throughout the procedure (and even long after that). Physical and emotional stress is especially common when the infertility treatment is unsuccessful. Even when the treatment results in pregnancy, stress can arise from the possibility of multiple embryos and of premature delivery. BEFORE you try any of these methods, natural fertility programs should be your first option.

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