Infertility and Assisted Reproduction Technology.

 is when the patients whose ovaries contain many small cysts have hormone imbalances and do not ovulate regularly.

Female tube blockages are blocked or damaged fallopian tubes prevent eggs from getting to the uterus and sperm from getting to the egg. Leading causes include pelvic inflammatory disease, sexually transmitted diseases such as , and previous sterilisation surgery.

Male

More than 90% of male infertility cases are due to low sperm counts, poor sperm quality, or both. The remaining cases of male infertility can be caused by a number of factors including anatomical problems, hormonal imbalances, and genetic defects. Smoking, drugs and alcohol abuse can also lead to a reduced sperm count.

Some disorders that effect males are:

Sperm Abnormalities

Sperm abnormalities can be caused by a range of factors, including congenital birth defects, disease, chemical exposure, and lifestyle habits (smoking etc.). Some men have sperm that are not properly formed e.g. 2 or more tails, deformed. The abnormally shaped sperm (which impairs mobility) causes difficulty to fertilize an egg. Another type of abnormal sperm is sperm with low mobility. That means the sperm cannot travel fast or agile enough to reach the egg.

Retrograde Ejaculation

Retrograde ejaculation occurs when the muscles of the bladder wall do not function properly during orgasm and the sperm is forced backward into the bladder instead of forward out of the urethra. Sperm quality is often impaired. Without sperm, egg fertilization and implantation cannot take place.

Exposing Testes to High Temperatures

Exposing the testes to high temperatures can affect the ability of the sperm to move and fertilize an egg. For instance, men with cryptorchism have testicles that do not descent into the scrotum. That means the testes are still inside the body cavity, which has a higher temperature than the external scrotum. Tight underwear can also increase the temperature in the scrotum as they are pulled closer to the body.

Blocked Sperm Ducts

Blocked sperm ducts are also to blame for male infertility. A small number of men have vas deferens or sperm ducts that are blocked or damaged. This prevents the sperm from reaching the partner’s egg. Blocked sperm ducts can be a result of an infection such as mumps, injury to the testicles, congenital defects or a vasectomy.

Types of Assisted Reproductive Technology

IVF

IVF is used to treat infertility that arises from blockages of the fallopian tubes, endometriosis, abnormal sperm, and some cases of unexplained infertility.  This is the more popular because there is a 75% chance of conceiving after three treatments.

Because of the implantation of multiple fertile female eggs, the chances of multiple births have increase considerably and triples increased triple fold.

ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection)

ICSI is a highly complex procedure, in which a reproductive specialist isolates one sperm from your partner with which is used to fertilize one of the female’s eggs. Once fertilization has taken place, the embryo is allowed to develop for a few days and is then implanted into your uterus at the suitable time of your cycle.

Problems associated with ICSI are increase risk of miscarriage, heart problems for affected infants, increase risk of behaviour and/or learning disabilities and increased risk of infertility in the child in their adulthood.

GIFT (Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer)

 is often used as an alternative to the IVF procedure. Eggs and sperm are collected from you and your partner. These are then mixed in tiny plastic cylinders, similar to straws, and the mixture is inserted into your fallopian tubes. Fertilization takes place inside of your fallopian tubes, instead of outside of your body like in an IVF Treatment. The price for this treatment cost a little under $10,000.

Ethics of Assisted Reproductive Technology

Gay marriages are often frowned upon in many countries around the world but countries such as Canada and Sweden agree to allow this to happen. People and governments alike often criticize on the subject of same-sex marriage with topics such as religious and human rights!

Some say that children growing up in same-sex parental households have differences in self-esteem, gender identity, or emotional problems when compared to children growing up in heterosexual parent homes. Some studies showed that single heterosexual parents' children have more difficulties than children who have parents of the same sex," Ellen C. Perrin, says. "They did better in discipline, self-esteem, and had less psychosocial difficulties at home and at school.

With this information on the table I see no reason why we, Australia, should outlaw same-sex marriage, in the midst of all this the positive results of same-sex parenting gives equal and even better results than heterosexual parenting. Some couples have been reported of actually flying or travelling to countries which allow A.R.T to become pregnant because their countries believes it is wrong to allow A.R.T.

Throughout this report, it has described the positive aspects of Assisted Reproductive Technology but also the negative side. Although many people acknowledge the dangers of A.R.T, they still proceed to take the risk and try and become pregnant. Types and causes of infertility have also been reviewed to further enlighten the facts of infertility.

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