Treatments for Infertility

• Female Fertility Drugs

  • Failure to ovulate can be treated with drugs that mimic FSH and LH

  – Stimulate follicle development & ovulation

  • Drugs can also be given to prevent negative feedback effect of oestrogen

  • Stimulates production of more FSH

  • Several follicles develop

  • When drug is stopped, LH is released

  • Ovulation occurs

  • These drugs can cause super ovulation resulting in multiple births or the production of many eggs for IVF
• Artificial Insemination

  • The average sperm count in men is 20 to 150 million per millilitre of semen

  • Low sperm count classified as fewer than 20 million sperm per millilitre of semen

  • Artificial insemination is used to treat problems with sperm count

  • Sperm are placed inside the uterus, near an oviduct using a catheter

  • If male is sterile sperm from a donor can be used
• • Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

  • If mature sperm are defective or very low in number ICSI can be used

  • the head of the sperm is drawn into a needle and injected directly into the egg to achieve fertilisation.
• Pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) to identify genetic disorders and chromosome abnormalities.
• Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to identify a known chromosomal or gene disorders. Carried out in conjunction with IVF.