Infertility is the inability to produce offspring. Couples who have infertility problems and want to achieve pregnancy may undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Infertility is not dangerous to the physical health but it can cause stress and emotional depression to couples who have this problem.
Infertility affects one in every seven couples in both men and women. For women who are 35 years and older, the possibility of achieving pregnancy is less if they use their own eggs. Fertility also declines in males as they grow older. Those couples who are infertile but have successful pregnancies and live births are considered subfertile. There are only few patients who are treated with IVF infertility that are unable to conceive and are considered sterile. The reason can be that a male has no sperm, a woman's ovaries do not function properly or there is absence of the uterus.
Causes of IVF Infertility
The causes of IVF infertility may arise due to several factors such as the increasing occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases which results in damage to reproductive organs or there is low sperm count due to the effect of environmental conditions such as pollution and industrial toxic waste. Other factors such as postponement of bearing a child and increase in obesity may also result to infertility.
IVF Infertility: Endometriosis
Many women with infertility problems may have Endometriosis which is a common problem. In Endometriosis the uterine tissue grows outside of the uterus. Women who have endometriosis often experience pain and abnormal menstrual periods. Endometrial implants usually develop on organs in the fallopian tubes, ovaries and intestines.
IVF Infertility: Donor Eggs and Low Sperm Count
IVF infertility also involves women who cannot produce their own eggs due to damage to the ovaries or for genetic reasons. As a result, donor eggs are used for the IVF procedure. There are approximately 10% of donor eggs used in all assisted reproductive technologies. The success rate of IVF Infertility clinics depend on the patient's characteristics and immediate reaction to the treatment. For males, if they have a low sperm count, Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is applied as a treatment in which a sample sperm is injected to the egg.
GIFT and ZIFT ART in relation to IVF
There are other assisted reproductive technologies related to IVF that are used for infertility treatments, Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT) and the Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT). In GIFT, gametes are transferred to the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus and fertilization takes place in the fallopian tubes instead of in laboratories. ZIFT has the same procedure with GIFT except fertilization takes place in the laboratory. However, both of these ART procedures only account for a small percentage in treatment use as compared with IVF.
To achieve IVF pregnancy, couples must undergo a very long and enduring process. Couples may take many risks during the entire procedure but are not guaranteed a successful pregnancy. Conquering IVF infertility is not definite. Achieving pregnancy depends on many factors and couples should therefore prepare themselves for the realities on the outcome of IVF treatment.