Describe the treatments available to help infertile couples to have childrenDescribe the treatments available to help infertile couples to have children

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Ai) Describe the treatments available to help infertile couples to have children

Infertility: "The diminished ability or the inability to conceive and have offspring. Infertility is also defined in specific terms as the failure to conceive after a year of regular intercourse without contraception."1

In recent years infertility has increased in the western world and the answer as to why this is the case is not yet known. It is said that one in seven couples in Britain are affected by fertility problems and is still on the rise. Infertility can affect both men and women and can mean either: low sperm count; low egg ovulation; inability to carry foetus to full terms and inability to conceive.

Fertility drugs are sometimes successful for some women; however there are now several medical treatments that involve medical technology, such as: IVF (In-Vitro Fertilisation). IVE is a technique in which the women's egg cells are fertilised by the man's sperm outside the woman's womb, in a dish in a laboratory. "In Vitro" is a Latin term which literally translates as "in glass". The process usually involves hormonally controlling the women's menstruation cycle, followed by hormone injections to stimulate ovulation.