Infertility (cont.)
What is assisted reproductive technology (ART)?
Assisted
reproductive technology (ART) is a term that describes several different methods
used to help infertile couples. ART involves removing eggs from a woman's body,
mixing them with sperm in the laboratory and putting the embryos back into a woman's body.
How often is assisted reproductive technology (ART) successful?
Success rates
vary and depend on many factors. Some things that affect the success rate of ART
include:
- age of the partners
- reason for infertility
- clinic
- type of ART
- if the egg is
fresh or frozen
- if the embryo is fresh or
frozen
The U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention (CDC) collects success rates on ART for some fertility clinics.
According to the 2003 CDC report on ART, the average percentage of ART cycles
that led to a healthy baby were as follows:
- 37.3% in women under the age of 35
- 30.2% in women aged
35-37
- 20.2% in women aged 37-40
- 11.0% in women aged 41-42
ART can be expensive
and time-consuming. But it has allowed many couples to have children that
otherwise would not have been conceived. The most common complication of ART is multiple fetuses. But
this is a problem that can be prevented or minimized in several different ways.
What are the different types of assisted reproductive technology (ART)?
Common methods of ART include:
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
means fertilization outside of the body. IVF is
the most effective ART. It is often used when a woman's fallopian tubes are
blocked or when a man produces too few sperm. Doctors treat the woman with a
drug that causes the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. Once mature, the eggs are
removed from the woman. They are put in a dish in the lab along with the man's
sperm for fertilization. After 3 to 5 days, healthy embryos are implanted in the
woman's uterus.
- Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) or Tubal Embryo Transfer is similar to IVF. Fertilization
occurs in the laboratory. Then the very young embryo is transferred to the
fallopian tube instead of the uterus.
- Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) involves transferring eggs and sperm into the
woman's fallopian tube. So fertilization occurs in the woman's body. Few
practices offer GIFT as an option.
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is often used for couples in which there are serious
problems with the sperm. Sometimes it is also used for older couples or for
those with failed IVF attempts. In ICSI, a single sperm is injected into a
mature egg. Then the embryo is transferred to the uterus or fallopian tube.
ART
procedures sometimes involve the use of donor eggs (eggs from another woman),
donor sperm, or previously frozen embryos. Donor eggs are sometimes used for
women who can not produce eggs. Also, donor eggs or donor sperm is sometimes
used when the woman or man has a genetic disease that can be passed on to the baby.
For more information... You can find out more about
infertility by contacting the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) at 1-800-994-9662 or the
following organizations:
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Phone Number(s): (888) 463-6332
Internet
Address: http://www.fda.gov
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
(ACOG)
Resource Center
Phone Number(s): (800) 762-2264
Internet Address: http://www.acog.org
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
Phone Number(s): (205) 978-5000
Internet Address: http://www.asrm.org/
Resolve: The National Infertility Association
Phone Number(s): (888) 623-0744
Internet Address: http://www.resolve.org
InterNational Council on Infertility Information Dissemination, Inc.
Phone Number(s): (703) 379-9178
Internet Address: http://www.inciid.org/
Source: The National Women's Health Information Center, www.womenshealth.gov
Last Editorial Review: 2/7/2007
- danazol-oral, Danocrine - Consumer information about the medication DANAZOL - ORAL (Danocrine), includes side effects, drug interactions, recommended dosages, and storage information. Read more about the prescription drug DANAZOL - ORAL.
- Ultrasound - Learn an ultrasound procedure, and conditions and diseases it assists in diagnosing and screening like tumors, cysts, heart conditions and more.
- Endometriosis - Lern about endometriosis symptoms like pelvic pain, infertility, diarrhea, constipation, lower back pain, abdominal pain, irregular or heavy menstrual bleeding, and even blood in the urine.
Latest Medical News
Pregnancy RSS