controlling fertility with hormones

• FSH stands for follicle stimulating hormone and stimulates the ovaries of the woman to mature an egg
• Low levels of FSH can result in the egg not maturing properly
• To help eggs mature, FSH can be given in the form of a pill
• LH, luteinizing hormone, is given to stimulate ovulation, which is the release of the egg and typically occurs on day 14 of the menstrual cycle
• Restoring fertility can often be achieved by giving FSH and LH to stimulate egg maturation and ovulation
• In vitro fertilization (IVF) involves five stages:

  • FSH and LH are given to stimulate egg maturation
  • Eggs are collected from the woman's ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a laboratory
  • If needed, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) can be used for low sperm count
  • Fertilized eggs are placed in an incubator to grow into embryos
  • One or more embryos are inserted into the mother's uterus to develop into a fetus
• Pros of IVF:

  • Allows infertile couples to have children
• Cons of IVF:

  • Success rate is low, about one in four in the UK
  • Can be emotionally stressful, upsetting, and physically unpleasant
  • Can lead to multiple births, increasing the risk of complications like miscarriage and stillbirth
  • Some consider the process unethical due to unused embryos that are eventually destroyed
• Recent advances in microscope technologies have improved the success rate of IVF and allowed for genetic testing on single cells from embryos
• Genetic testing can reveal diseases and characteristics of the future baby, such as gender or eye color
• Concerns exist about the possibility of "designer babies" where specific traits are selected, but this is currently illegal in the UK and most other countries