Some Solutions to Infertility

Considering the natural outcomes in pregnancy 90% of the women should become pregnant within a year of marriage, if the couple have regular intercourse. After 2 years this figure rises to 95%. Fertility treatment should not be started during this period. The delay in pregnancy is by chance, since these couples have low normal fertility and not infertility.

Thus 5-10% of couples will seek medical advice for delay in achieving pregnancy. These couples should be investigated and referred to a specialist early. Investigations are planned keeping in mind that 15% of couples have multiple causes of infertility. A complete investigation in the beginning is advised instead of starting treatment on the first abnormal result. For a woman over 35 years, there is a substantial fall in the chance of success with fertility treatment. A 35 year old woman, with an older partner, has a 20% chance of conceiving compared to a woman between 19-26 years of age who has a 50% chance of conceiving.

• Infertility duration of more than 3 years.
• Woman's age more than 38 years.
• FSH more than 10 IU/I in early menstrual phase.
• Low and abnormal sperm count according to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for sperm examination.

A. Intrauterine Insemination:
Potential problems like thickening of female cervical mucus, premature ejaculation, impotence or anatomical abnormalities may be overcome by Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). The sperm can be inserted directly into the cervix via the vagina. IUI is only suitable for women with healthy Fallopian Tubes. The process involves placement of a specially prepared sample of sperm into the uterus at the desirable time in the cycle. The female partner is given fertility drugs to increase the chances of pregnancy. The treatment is monitored by regular Ultrasound scan's to prevent multiple pregnancies.

B. In Vitro Fertilisation:
In some cases it is difficult for the sperm and egg to meet in the fallopian tube, and the normal fertilisation cannot take place. Vitro fertilisation (IVF) offers avoids this problem by allowing fertilisation to occur outside the body in a glass dish(culture dish). Up to 3 of any resultant embryos can be replaced in the womb. IVF can be done with donated eggs, sperm or embryos also.

C. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection:
Intracytoplasmic sperm is a technique used for injection (ICSI). ICSI involves injecting a single sperm into the egg. Patients who are unable to succeed with the conventional IVF can be treated with micro-manipulation of the egg and sperm. A very fine needle is used. It is appropriate where the male partner has few sperm or no motility.

The progress of medical science gives us a wide number of treatment options, with huge success rates. Visit an infertility clinic at the earliest if you have a problem.