Infertility in Male and Female

Infertility treatment

 1. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive naturally after ( one year of ) regular unprotected intercourse . 

 2. Today infertile couples have many options to have a child such as fertility drugs, test tube babies, artificial insemination, IUI, surrogate motherhood, etc. 

 (1) In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): When the fertilization process is carried out of the body and the embryo is transferred back into the mother's body, then it is called IVF technique. ( Commonly known as test - tube baby . ) 

( 2 ) Zygote Intra Fallopian Transfer ( ZIFT : The embryo is transferred in the fallopian tubes by ZIFT ( Zygote Intra Fallopian Transfer ) technique.

 

3 ) Gamete Intra Fallopian Transfer ( GIFT ) : Transferring the ovum collected from the donor into the fallopian tube of another female who can act as a surrogate mother ( a female with suitable environment for fertilization and development ) is called GIFT. 

 4 ) ICSI ( Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection ) : Single sperm cell is injected directly into cytoplasm of an ovum in the laboratory in this technique. 

 ( 5 ) Artificial insemination ( AI ) : The collected sperms are artificially introduced into the cervix of female, for the purpose of achieving a pregnancy through in vivo fertilization. 

 ( 6) IUI ( Intra Uterine Insemination ) : Similar to artificial insemination , but in this technique the sperms are introduced into the uterine cavity instead of cervix . 

 ( 7) Sperm bank / Semen bank : Sperms are collected from donors and stored in a sperm bank or semen bank. 

Thesee are stored by cryopreservation method and given to needy couples. 

 ( 8 ) Adoption : A couple or a single parent can legally adopt a child . They also get legal rights. The privileges and responsibilities for raising up adopted the child.

Infertility :

Female infertility, or the inability to conceive, occurs in about 10% of all women of reproductive age in the United States. Female infertility may be caused by ovarian disease, obstruction of the uterine tubes, or conditions in which the uterus is not adequately prepared to receive a fertilized ovum. Male infertility (sterility) is an inability

to fertilize a secondary oocyte; it does not imply erectile dysfunction (impotence). Male fertility requires production of adequate quantities of viable, normal sperm by the testes, unobstructed transport of sperm though the ducts, and satisfactory deposition in the vagina. The seminiferous tubules of the testes are sensitive to many factors

x-rays, infections, toxins, malnutrition, and higher-than-normal scrotal temperatures—that may cause degenerative changes and produce male sterility. One cause of infertility in females is inadequate body fat. To begin and maintain a normal reproductive cycle, a female must have a minimum amount of body fat. Even a moderate deficiency of fat 10% to 15% below normal weight for height—may delay the onset of menstruation (menarche), inhibit ovulation during the reproductive cycle, or cause amenorrhea (cessation of menstruation). Both dieting and intensive exercise may reduce body fat below the minimum amount and lead to infertility that is reversible, if weight gain or reduction of intensive exercise or both occur. Studies of very obese

women indicate that they, like very lean ones, experience problems with amenorrhea and infertility. Males also experience reproductive problems in response to undernutrition and weight loss. For example, they produce less prostatic fluid and reduced numbers of sperm having decreased motility.

Many fertility-expanding techniques now exist for assisting infertile couples to have a baby. The birth of Louise Joy Brown on July 12, 1978, near Manchester, England, was the first recorded case of in vitro fertilization (IVF)—fertilization in a laboratory dish. In the IVF procedure, the mother-to-be is given follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) soon after menstruation, so that several secondary oocytes,rather than the typical single oocyte, will be produced (superovulation). When several follicles have reached the appropriate size, a small incision is made near the umbilicus, and the secondary oocytes are aspirated from the stimulated follicles and transferred to a solution containing sperm, where the oocytes undergo fertilization.

Alternatively, an oocyte may be fertilized in vitro by suctioning a

sperm or even a spermatid obtained from the testis into a tiny pipette and then injecting it into the oocyte’s cytoplasm. This procedure, termed intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) , has been used when infertility is due to impairments in sperm motility or to the failure of spermatids to develop into spermatozoa. When the zygote achieved by IVF reaches the 8-cell or 16-cell

stage, it is introduced into the uterus for implantation and subsequent growth.

In embryo transfer, a man’s semen is used to artificially inseminate a fertile secondary oocyte donor. After fertilization in the donor’s uterine tube, the morula or blastocyst is transferred from the donor to the infertile woman, who then carries it (and subsequently

the fetus) to term. Embryo transfer is indicated for women who are

infertile or who do not want to pass on their own genes because they are carriers of a serious genetic disorder.

In gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) the goal is to mimic the normal process of conception by uniting sperm and secondary oocyte in the prospective mother’s uterine tubes. It is an attempt to bypass conditions in the female reproductive tract that might prevent fertilization, such as high acidity or inappropriate mucus. In this

procedure, a woman is given FSH and LH to stimulate the production

of several secondary oocytes, which are aspirated from the mature follicles, mixed outside the body with a solution containing sperm,and then immediately inserted into the uterine tubes.

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