by Rosa Lee

Created on: November 27, 2009

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) include all fertility treatments which involve surgically removing eggs from a woman's ovaries, combining them with sperm in the laboratory, and returning them to the woman's body or donating them to another woman. Typical ART's include:

Intrauterine insemination (IUI): Also known as Artificial insemination. Sperm from your partner or a donor is screened to choose only the active sperm. They are then concentrated into a small volume and "washed" to remove potentially toxic chemicals that may cause adverse reactions in the uterus. When you are ovulating, this concentrated dose of sperm is injected into your uterus through the cervix with a soft catheter. IUI is a quick procedure that is done in the doctor's office without anaesthesia.

In vitro Fertilization (IVF): IVF is the most common ART procedure used to overcome a variety of fertility difficulties [2]. Eggs are removed from the woman to be fertilized in a lab with sperm from your partner. The resulting embryo is then transplanted in the uterus.

Donor eggs and embryos: Using IVF techniques, an egg or embryo donated by another woman is mixed with your partner's sperm and implanted in your uterus. Donor insemination is also a possible fertilization treatment option for single women and same-sex couples who want a child.

In vitro maturation: Immature eggs are collected to be matured in a lab before being fertilized. This procedure does not require a woman to take as many drugs as she would have to with conventional IVF.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): A single sperm is injected a directly into a single egg. The resulting embryo is then transferred into the uterus [2]. This procedure is used if the male partner has a low sperm count, low sperm motility or poor-quality sperm.

Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT): Eggs are removed from your ovaries and the healthiest ones are mixed in a lab with sperm from your partner or a donor. The mixture is injected into your fallopian tubes to fertilize naturally inside your body. The experience is very similar to a cycle of IVF but the minor surgery (laparoscopy) involved will mean a longer recovery time. GIFT is not widely used.

Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT): Similar to GIFT, this procedure takes a little longer because your doctor makes sure that your eggs are fertilized before surgically placing them in your fallopian tubes.

During ART, fertility drugs may be required, which can increase the odds of having multiple babies and of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).

Sources:

Georgia Reproductive Specialists

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

BabyCentre.com (United States) and BabyCentre.co.uk (United Kingdom)

www.fertilitylifelines.com

www.resolve.org

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