Saturday, April 28, 2018

What You Need To Know About IVF Fertility Treatment

By Catherine Stone


Human infertility is a problem that many couples all over the world struggle with. Fortunately, advances in medical practice are making it possible for many of these couples to deal with the problem. IVF is among the options used currently. IVF (in vitro fertilization) is the process of putting together an ovum and a sperm outside the human environment and allowing them to unite to form an embryo under special conditions in a scientific laboratory. IVF fertility treatment has been shown to solve reproductive problems among most couples.

Common problems that cause women to resort to IVF include defective fallopian tubes. Damage to the tubes happens due to a number of reasons such as recurrent pelvic infections, recurrent trauma and ectopic pregnancy. Men that consider this form of treatment usually have inadequate number of sperms or abnormal motility.

IVF is usually done in a stepwise manner. The first step involves administration of drugs to stimulate production of eggs from the ovary of the woman. Multiple ova (eggs) are needed to increase the chances of fertilization in vitro. At this stage, ultrasound examination of the ovaries is done as well monitoring of reproductive hormone levels through blood tests. Next, the ova are obtained using ultrasound guidance. The male partner is then requested to provide a sperm sample.

Semen samples are routinely obtained through masturbation and pouring the ejaculate into a correctly labelled container. It is advised that you avoid sexual intercourse for at least two days prior to sperm collection to boost motility and count. The man should ensure his hands are clean before proceeding with the act. Also, avoid using lubricants or any product that could potentially kill sperms. If the sperm count in the ejaculate is too low, harvesting can be done directly through testicular surgical aspiration.

The next step is to facilitate union of the sperms and eggs in an in vitro. This can be done by simply mixing up the two and giving the process some time to cause fertilization. Better still, newer technology has given room for intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a process that increases chances of fertilization. The resulting embryo is then introduced into the uterus through catheterization.

IVF comes with its own challenges and one of the common ones include multiple pregnancies which are associated with premature births and underdeveloped babies. Additional adverse effects include abdominal cramping, vomiting, nausea and constipation. To top it, this fertility treatment very expensive and the low social economic class may not be able to afford it.

The likelihood of success varies from one individual to another depending on the age of the woman, reproductive history, cause of infertility and kind of lifestyle. Ectopic pregnancy being one of the risks of IVF, puts viability and eventual survival of the embryo in question. Emotional stress associated with the process may cause some couples to give up just at first attempt.

Four to six weeks is the approximate period of time for a complete cycle IVF. It is an option that couples facing infertility should strongly consider despite the risks as research has shown that babies are just as healthy as those conceived naturally with no medical issues directly linked to it.




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