|
AIH (Artificial Insemination by Husband/Partner)
AIH involves two main aspects:-
The woman is given drugs which make her body
produce several eggs rather than the usual single egg. This process is
called superovulation. By increasing the number of eggs the chances of
pregnancy are greater. The effects of these drugs, however, need to be
carefully monitored by scanning the ovaries.
Once the eggs are ready to ovulate, a semen sample is
obtained and specially prepared. The sample is drawn up into a fine soft
tube. This tube is then gently passed through the cervix (the neck of the
womb) and the sperm deposited into the uterus (womb). This is called
intra-uterine insemination.
Blastocyst culture
Following IVF/ICSI embryos are grown for an
extended period before being transferred into the womb. This enables the
best embryos to be selected.
Donor insemination
Donor insemination treatment involves the
collection of sperm from a donor who has undergone rigorous health
screening. Following a quarantine period of six months such sperm becomes
available for treatment purposes. The treatment involves placing the sperm
into the womb to achieve a pregnancy.
Egg donation
Egg donation is the donation of eggs, by a known
or unknown female, to a female recipient. The eggs are then fertilised by
the male partner's sperm in the same way as IVF.
Egg sharing
Egg sharing is when a woman requiring IVF shares
her eggs with a woman who requires donor eggs (the recipient) this enables
the cost of IVF treatment to be greatly reduced for the sharer.
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)
This is the statutory body which regulates,
licenses and collects data on fertility treatments such as IVF and donor
insemination, as well as human embryo research, in the UK.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
ICSI is a technique that has been developed to
assist fertilisation using poor quality sperm. ICSI is generally used when
sperm are unable to fertilise an egg under normal IVF conditions and/or when
sperm cannot be produced in the ejaculate and need to be recovered from the
testis. The technique involves injecting a single sperm into the centre of
each egg. In this way the sperm are not required to penetrate any of the
barriers surrounding the egg. The treated eggs are checked the day after the
ICSI procedure to see if fertilisation has taken place. Up to three embryos
will then be transferred into the womb as in a normal IVF cycle.
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
IVF involves the fertilisation of eggs outside the
human body in a test tube and the transfer of these fertilised eggs into the
female partner's womb.
Ovulation Induction
Ovulation induction is the means of stimulating
the ovaries by daily injections of hormone drugs known as FSH (follicle
stimulating hormone). The injections stimulate the ovaries to make and
mature one or more follicles. The dosage of the drugs is slowly increased
until the ovaries start to respond. Once the follicles are mature a second
injection is given called a HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophon) which
releases the eggs. The couple are then asked to have sexual intercourse
around this time.
Frozen Embryo Transfer
About one in three couples having IVF treatment
will have embryos frozen to be used at a later date. During a frozen embryo
treatment cycle drugs are used to ensure the lining of the womb is ready to
receive the embryos. This is much less involved than a full cycle of IVF.
There is no anaesthetic or egg collection.
|
