More on Controlling Fertility

• What do low FSH levels mean?

  Eggs won't mature
• What are the pros and cons of fertility drugs?

  • Pro: Helps women get pregnant
  • Con: Does not always work
  • Con: Too many eggs can be stimulated resulting in unexpected multiple pregnancies
• What is IVF?


  In Vitro Fertilisation
• What is IVF used for?

  Helping women get pregnant if they are having difficulties
• How does IVF work?

  • Eggs are collected from the woman's ovaries and they are fertilised by the man's sperm in a lab
  • It can also use an ICSI
  • The fertilised eggs are grown into embryos in an incubator
  • Once they are tiny balls of cells, one or two are transferred to the woman's uterus to increase the chance of pregnancy
  • FSH and LH are given before egg collection to stimulate several eggs to mature
• What are the drawbacks of IVF treatment?

  • Multiple births can happen which is risky for mothers and babies
  • The success rate of IVF is low- 26 % in the UK
  • It is incredibly stressful and often upsetting
  • It is also physically stressful for the woman as some have strong reactions to the hormones e.g. abdominal pain, vomiting, dehydration
• What inventions can improve IVF techniques?

  • Advanced microscopes
  • Micro-tools
  • Time-lapse imaging
• Why are some against IVF?

  They think it is unethical to destroy unused embryos and the genetic testing is controversial as people think it could lead to choosing characteristics