Fertility treatments
Possible treatments include the use of drugs to regulate the hormones and this is successful at ensuring the release of multiple eggs per cycle. When a woman has had a problem with ovarian cysts, fibroids or endometriosis, a laparoscopy is often performed to remove any resulting scar tissue or to unblock the fallopian tubes.
The donation of sperm or fertilized eggs is also an option for couples that are trying to conceive. Sperm is provided by a partner or a donor, and introduced into the uterus or fallopian tubes; in vitro fertilization (IVF) involves eggs being removed and fertilized under laboratory conditions before the embryos are returned to the uterus. Both eggs and sperm can be donated and this is a marvelous benefit when a woman’s eggs or a man’s sperm are not of sufficient quality to guarantee pregnancy. If this is applicable it is well worth taking the time to read more about the procedure.
Surrogacy
In cases where carrying a fertilized embryo to full term proves impossible or risky, surrogacy is often considered. This is a procedure that involves another woman being implanted with a fertilized embryo provided by a couple or a donor, and she carries the baby through to birth, after which the childless couple become the baby’s parents via a legally binding agreement.
Facts about infertility
In the US, some 7.3 million people are affected by infertility and in 20 percent of couples this is unexplained. Both men and women have problems that have an impact on fertility in equal measure; those people over the age of 35 years are more likely to be affected. For women, age is a critical factor as the chances of becoming pregnant lessen from the age of 25 onwards, so that by the time they are more than 40 years old, there is a less than one percent chance of conceiving without medical intervention. The good news is that intervention techniques are improving all the time and whilst IVF success rates are around 35 percent, for those who choose assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as egg or sperm donation, the success rates are around 55 percent and are continuing to climb.
How egg donation works
Potential donors who wish to read more about the procedure should be aware that the age factor is very important; egg donors are usually young women aged from 21 to 34 years. Their eggs will be of good quality and they have the added advantage of responding well to the drugs used to enhance fertility. Careful physical and psychological screening establishes that donors are in good health, free from infectious diseases and genetic disorders, and have a positive mental attitude towards their decision to donate. Couples who hope to benefit from egg donation are likewise screened. When fertilized embryos are implanted in a woman’s body she continues to take hormones for the first trimester to ensure a successful pregnancy.
