Infertility and Assisted Reproductive Technologies
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Posted by Wei Yin Wong Jun 3, 2009 |
Infertility has become increasingly common. Medical conditions, obesity, unhealthy lifestyles, environmental factors, stress and the decision to delay having babies have all been identified as major causes of infertility.
And contrary to what our grandparents believed, infertility can be a problem in both men and women. In the old days, adoption was the only option for childless couples. These days, advanced assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as IVF, GIFT, ZIFT and ICSI have allowed thousands of infertile couples to conceive and deliver their own flesh and blood.
The first IVF baby, or popularly known as test tube baby previously, was Louise Brown. She was born in Britain in 1978. Since then, more than 3 million babies had been born worldwide using a wide range of ART approaches. The advent of ART is truly a godsend for childless couples who yearn to have babies using their own eggs and sperm.
However, ART treatments come with a huge price, quite literally. They are also extremely time-consuming, involve a lot of medical procedures and hormonal courses that leave unpleasant side-effects and worse, they do not guarantee success. In fact, success rate is only between 25% to 35%, depending on the couple's health status and age. Many couples also succesfully conceive using ART only to suffer miscarriages later, which can be an even bigger blow.
Therefore, it's crucial for couples considering IVF or any other ART treatment to adequately educate themselves before committing to a treatment. They can get information from hospitals, fertility clinics as well as websites and organizations dedicated to reproduction and infertility treatment.
A quick rundown on causes of infertility and ART can also be found on the following links.
Common Causes of Female Infertility
Common Causes of Male Infertility
Common Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Choosing Assisted Reproductive Technologies