20.So just how successful is GIFT? – Infertility Niche Business

Approximately 35 percent of the couples who use this procedure actually get pregnant and 27 percent of the couples experience a live pregnancy
Couples are drawn to this particular technique because it allows them to deliver a baby as close to natural means as possible.

Some women prefer GIFT for the sole reason that it allows for the fertilization of the egg inside their bodies, instead of in a "cold, sterile lab."

As with any procedure, there are some disadvantages to it. One of them is the more invasive nature of the technique compared to IVF. GIFT also possesses a greater risk of multiple births, which in turn can create pregnancy complications -- some of which may be serious.

Babies produced in this manner in general have a lower birth weight than those conceived through other techniques. But not only that, there seems to be a greater risk of the baby being born with some type of birth defect.

Used in men with spinal cord injuries an ART procedure called electric or
vibratory stimulation has been very effective for some couples. The electric stimulation helps to facilitate the ejaculation in order to obtain the necessary semen.

Another method of retrieving sperm from the male is called surgical sperm aspiration. This technique actually removes sperm from an area of the man's reproductive system, such as the vas deferens, testicle or the epididymis. In this way the sperm is retrieved should the ejaculatory duct be blocked.
Remember the phrase artificial insemination?

Well, it's now called Intrauterine insemination!

Confused? Many couples are. However confused you may appear initially, it's worth your time and effort to take a look at IUI -- intrauterine insemination.
It's by no means a new technique. But did you realize that it's been an option for couples since the 1940s. Who knew?

IUI can be a very effective treatment option for certain couples. It's especially effective when the female partner is younger than 41. If you have any of the following problems though, this procedure isn't a viable treatment:

 Ovarian failure (either natural or premature menopause)

 Severe male infertility

 Blockages of the fallopian tube

 Severe endometriosis

IUI, in fact, is usually the treatment of choice for infertility that has no apparent cause. But it has also proved to be a godsend for those couples in which the woman is suffering with endometriosis or other problems with ovulation as well as infertility caused by the disorders of the cervix.

IUI may also be used if the infertility has been determined to be on the part of the male.

According to many medical specialists, Insemination is a logical treatment to use in the initial stages of infertility therapy. Used for a maximum of four months on women who are ovulating -- that is producing and releasing an egg every month, it can be used longer in some special incidences.

A woman with polycystic ovaries (PCOS) for example or is currently taking drugs to stimulate ovulation, though, may find that IUI therapy lasts for longer than this recommended length of time.

Now that I've prepared you for IUI, you're naturally curious to what's actually involved in the process. And that's reasonable.

Your first step in the IUI technique is taking medication that stimulates the development of more than one egg. The insemination is then timed to coincide with your ovulation or the release of your eggs.

The male partner produces a semen specimen either at home or in the office through masturbation following a minimum two day period of abstinence from ejaculation.

This sample is then "washed" in the laboratory. You'll hear this part of the technique referred to as either sperm processing or sperm washing. In this portion, the sperm separates from the other parts of the semen so it can be concentrated into a small volume. Sperm washing is performed through a variety of media and techniques. It doesn’t take long, at most 60 minutes.

The vagina is prepared for entry and the cervical area is gently cleansed. This is portion of the procedure may vary from individual to individual. Your doctor may choose to place the sperm in your cervix, in which case, this procedure is technically an intracervical insemination or an ICI.

If he instead places it farther up in the uterine cavity, then it's technically called an intrauterine insemination. In either version, he'll use a sterile, flexible catheter to accomplishment the placement of sperm.

And the last option used in Assisted Reproductive technology is called assisted hatching. Even though it sounds as if it's something performed in a chicken coop, it's a treatment for infertility that gets relatively good results. The technique assists with the implantation of the embryo into the lining of the uterus.