Home
Assignments
Bookmarks
Assisted reproductive technology
Upgrade for more content
True or false? Assisted pregnancies are generally very affordable.
For about 15% of potential parents around the world, conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term is very difficult, or even impossible. These people struggle with infertility. Infertility can be devastating for those who would like to have children. There are many causes of infertility. In some cases, infertility is caused by poor quality sperm, which is unable to reach the egg and fertilise it.
Or, there is a problem with the Fallopian tubes, which could prevent sperm reaching the egg. It could be that the ovaries are not producing enough mature egg cells, or are not producing any at all. Or that the fertilised egg cannot implant in the uterus. Over the past few decades, scientists have made incredible breakthroughs that can help bypass some obstacles of infertility. They can help people who can’t conceive naturally, conceive with medical help.
This medical help is often called assisted reproductive technology. The most common technique available is in vitro fertilisation or IVF. IVF usually involves six main stages. First, medication is used to suppress the natural menstrual cycle. Then, another type of medication is used to boost the production of mature egg cells in the ovaries.
The progress of egg development is carefully monitored, so that eggs are collected at precisely the right time. Once the eggs have been collected from the ovaries, they are placed in a container and mixed with sperm for a few days, to allow the sperm to fertilise the eggs. If the cause of infertility is poor quality sperm, then eggs are usually not simply mixed with sperm. Instead, outside the body, a single sperm cell is carefully injected into the centre of an egg, which ensures fertilisation. Then the fertilised eggs are inspected, and if they show no signs of possible defects, one or two of them are placed in the uterus.
Despite the great potential of assisted reproductive technology to help people have biological children, this technology is not a perfect solution. The chances of a successful pregnancy after treatment often depend on the age of the person, as well as the cause of infertility. If the reason for infertility lies in poor quality sperm, or blocked Fallopian tubes, chances are that treatment will be more successful. But even then, only around a third of assisted pregnancies carried by people under 35 result in live birth. And that number decreases the older the person gets.
If the reason for infertility treatment is that the fertilised egg cannot implant in the uterus, or if the reason is unknown, the chances of success are much lower. There are also some risks involved with assisted reproductive technology. The medications used during treatment can cause side effects, such as hot flushes and headaches. There is also a higher chance of multiple births, such as twins or triplets, which can be dangerous in some cases. Assisted reproductive technologies are also very expensive.
They can become a financial burden for the person or people trying to conceive, especially after several rounds of treatment. Despite the limited success rates and the risks involved, many people still choose to try IVF, as it gives them a chance of becoming biological parents.