Gamete Intrfallopian Transfer (GIFT), this is similar to IVF the difference is that it is the Gametes (eggs and sperm) which are transferred to the woman’s fallopian tubes rather than the mixture of eggs and sperm, so fertilisation happens inside the woman’s body. The embryo can begin its earliest development in the natural surroundings of the body, rather than in an artificial environment. Fertility drugs are given to the woman to stimulate the ovaries so that several mature eggs can be developed for fertilisation. When the eggs are mature, the doctor removes them from the ovaries using a fine hollow needle, up to three of the eggs are combined with the partners sperm. In a minor surgical procedure using a fibre thin tube the doctor transfers the doctor transfers the eggs and sperm to the fallopian tubes, through a small incision, in the abdomen for natural fertilisation and implantation. GIFT has reasonably high success rate in comparison to IVF. The advantages are, the success rate is higher and GIFT allows the embryo to arrive in the uterus naturally, without disrupting the development of the uterine lining. The disadvantage is that if the procedure doesn’t work it is hard to figure out why and the fertility drugs can cause severe side effects.
Surrogacy is where another women is paid to have a baby for a couple, who cannot conceive a baby naturally. This process requires an immense amount of time, money and patience to succeed. The procedure is carried out by the surrogate mother typically conceiving, after being artificially inseminated with the man’s sperm, the surrogate then goes on to carry the baby. After the birth the surrogate mother gives the baby to the couple and terminates the parental rights. The advantage of surrogacy is that it gives infertile women and their partners the chance to have a child of their genetic offspring, at least partially. The disadvantage is, some surrogates face difficult emotional and psychological issue over letting the baby go and the possibility the surrogate can change her mind.
In Artificial insemination (AI), semen is introduced into the woman's uterus at around the time of ovulation, with the aim of getting the sperm nearer to the egg. It can help couples where the man has a low sperm count, or where the sperm are unable to get through the woman's cervical mucus. Because sperm is placed directly inside the woman, AI can help couples who are unable to have intercourse because of disability, injury, or difficulties such as premature ejaculation. The procedure is also called intrauterine insemination, or IUI. The woman should start taking the fertility drug near the beginning of her menstrual cycle to stimulate the ovaries to develop several mature eggs for fertilisation. The woman will track her basal body temperature and use an ovulation detection kit or the doctor may use ultrasound to detect ovulation and therefore make sure that insemination is carried out at the optimum time. Once the woman ovulates, her partner produces a sperm sample, which is "washed” to extract the best-quality, motile sperm. Using a catheter through the cervix, doctors then put this sperm directly into the uterus near a fallopian tube (this is IUI). The doctor may choose to do a less common procedure, called intratubal insemination, and place the sperm directly into one or both fallopian tubes. The rest for a short time afterwards and then carry on life as normal. A pregnancy test can be taken after two weeks.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), this is a relatively new technique, which is embraced as a break through in treating male infertility, because only one sperm is needed and is directly injected into the egg, it offers hope to couples where the man has a low sperm count or produces few good quality sperms. The method, the woman is given fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries so several mature eggs can be developed for fertilisation. Once the eggs are ready, the man and the woman endure separate procedures. The doctor retrieves sperm from the man, from a testicle with a needle under an anaesthetic. After giving the woman a general anaesthetic the doctor removes her eggs using a thin hollow needle. A lab technician then isolates individual sperm and injects them into single eggs. Two days later two or three balls of cells called embryos are transplanted into the woman’s uterus. One embryo may attach to the uterine wall and continue to grow, a pregnancy test can be taken two weeks later. The success rate of ICSI is increasing, many clinics have found that their clinical pregnancy rates are higher then those using conventional IVF methods. The advantage is that it gives couples where the man has a low sperm count the chance to have their genetic child. The disadvantage is that only the hardest sperm manage to travel great distances and break through the membrane of an egg and fertilise it, during normal conception.
Sperm and egg donation for couples, where the man produces no sperm at all, in which case a couple may find that donor insemination offers them their only chance to have a child, or when a women perhaps because of an inherited condition, surgery, or chemotherapy, may not produce any eggs and will need donated eggs or embryos to conceive. Using donated eggs is an option for older women, when in their forties women have a low chance of success with assisted conception treatments using own eggs because egg quality declines with age. Couple who know they are at risk of passing on a genetic disorder may also choose to use donate gametes, a term which refers to both egg and sperm. All egg and sperm donations in the U.K must be anonymous. Donors are matched as closely as possible with the beneficiary couple for characteristics, hair colour, eye colour, occupation and interests. If using donor sperm, this can be done as part of an artificial insemination procedure. A concentrated quantity of the donated sperm is placed in the uterus or fallopian tubes at around the time of ovulation. All semen used in donor insemination is frozen and thawed before it is used. The number of inseminations done in each cycle can vary, as can the method used, the sperm can be put into the vagina, the cervix or uterus. The process of using donated eggs has to be coordinated. Both donor and recipient will be given hormones to get the fertility cycles synchronised. Fertility drugs are given to donor so several mature eggs can be developed for fertilisation, the doctor using a thin hollow needle then removes eggs. From here the recipient follows a standard IVF procedure. Approximately 5,000 couples a year in the U.K have donor insemination or GIFT using donating gametes. Around 50% of couples will achieve a pregnancy following insemination with donor sperm. The advantage is that using donated eggs does allow older women and others who cannot produce healthy eggs to carry and deliver a baby. The disadvantage is that treatments involving egg donation are usually emotionally stressful than a straight IVF cycle.
Most of these treatments would not be available if IVF hadn’t been found because most of these treatments involve IVF taking place. Allot of these treatments take a time period of four to six weeks. I think people should think about what they are doing properly, if thinking about using these treatments because these fertility treatments are not always successful. Overall I think these treatments give hope to infertile couples and give them the chance to have children of their own genetic offspring. . I think science is taking a turn for the worst in some cases. But in other cases science is moving forward very well.