Assisted reproduction techniques are various treatments aimed at resolving fertility disorders in the couple. A couple is considered to have trouble conceiving when after a year of frequent sexual intercourse and without a contraceptive method, they cannot achieve pregnancy.
On the other hand, assisted reproduction techniques also help couples who, although they achieve fertilization, do not achieve viable gestations. There are special solutions for each case, so we wanted to give a brief explanation of each of the assisted reproduction techniques We found today.
Artificial insemination with semen of the couple (IAC)
It is the simplest among assisted reproduction techniques. Consists in deposit the sperm of your partner in the cervix of the woman by means of adequate instruments. It is a short and painless procedure.
It is usually performed after ovarian stimulation of women with drugs that favor the development of ovarian follicles.
The probability of getting pregnant through artificial insemination with partner semen for each cycle is between 10 and 15 percent. Most of the gestations are obtained in the first three treatment cycles.
Artificial insemination with semen donor (IAD)
It is the same as the previous one, but with semen from a donor. It is used in cases in which the woman wishes to be a mother without a partner or when the man has severe difficulties such as absence of conceivable sperm or genetic disorders that can be transmitted to the fetus and embryonic selection cannot be performed.
If the woman does not present reproductive difficulties, the success of this technique after an adequate number of cycles round 80 percent. If the woman has problems, the rate decreases.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) and sperm microinjection (ICSI)
In vitro fertilization consists of join the ovule and sperm out of the woman's body to achieve fertilization and initial embryonic development.
There are two modalities: the in vitro fertilization, which consists of putting the ovum in contact and is sperm so that fertilization occurs spontaneously, and the sperm microinjection, more active, which consists of introducing the sperm into the ovule.
When fertilization occurs and embryos develop, the appropriate number is selected to enter the woman's genital tract.
Mean pregnancy per cycle started round between 29 and 35 percent.
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
It consists of selecting, through genetic techniques, the suitable embryos obtained through in vitro fertilization. The most suitable will be embryos transferred to the mother's womb.
It is performed when there are repeated abortions or repeated implantation failures of embryos transferred by in vitro fertilization. Also in cases of patients with chromosomal alterations or monogenic diseases caused by the alteration of a gene.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis is considered successful when it has resulted in the birth of healthy children.
Sperm extraction
Consists in get sperm to be used in assisted reproduction techniques. They can be used immediately or freeze for future use.
There are different sperm extraction techniques. They can be obtained through the testicular or seminal pathway when in ejaculation there are no sperm in adequate quantity or quality to be used in assisted reproduction techniques.
Egg Donation
Treatment used in cases in which the oocytes of women do not offer enough quality To get pregnant, they have run out or are carriers of a genetic or chromosomal alteration.
Any woman between 18 and 35 years old with good physical and psychological health can be an oocyte donor. The donation is anonymous and altruistic.
This technique has a high success rate. The possibility of getting a pregnancy after a transfer of embryos from donor eggs is of more than 50 percent per cycle.
Fertility preservation
Its purpose is get a pregnancy, but not immediately, but in the future. It is used in cases of illness, such as cancer.
Cancer treatments cause damage to the oocytes, most of the time irreversible, therefore the freezing of oocytes, embryos, ovarian tissue or semen, as the case may be, will be used for future use.
Photos | Katie Tegtmeyer on Flickr CC and Wikipedia CC More information | Fertility and assisted reproduction (pdf) In Babies and more |
