Infertility and Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)
- Infertility is the inability to conceive or produce children even after 2 years of unprotected sexual cohabitation.
- The reasons for this may be physical, congenital, diseases, drugs, immunological, or even psychological.
- The technologies used to correct the infertility problems are called Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). Some of them are given below:
1. In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) or Test Tube Baby Programme
- In this method, ova from the wife/donor and sperms from the husband/donor are collected and induced to form a zygote under simulated conditions in the laboratory. This is followed by Embryo Transfer (ET).
- ET is of 2 types:
- Zygote Intra Fallopian Transfer (ZIFT): Transfer of a zygote or early embryo (with up to 8 blastomeres) into the fallopian tube.
- Intra Uterine Transfer (IUT): Transfer of an embryo with more than 8 blastomeres into the uterus.
- Embryos formed by in vivo fertilisation (fertilisation within the female) are also used for such transfers to assist females who cannot conceive.
2. Gamete Intra Fallopian Transfer (GIFT)
- Transfer of an ovum from a donor into the fallopian tube of another female who cannot produce an ovum but can provide a suitable environment for fertilisation and development.
3. Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- It is a laboratory procedure in which a single sperm (from the male partner) is injected directly into an egg (from the female partner). After fertilisation, the embryo is implanted into the woman’s uterus.
4. Artificial Insemination (AI) Technique
- The semen collected from the husband or a donor is artificially introduced into the vagina or the uterus of the female.
- Artificial insemination into the uterus is known as Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI).
- This technique is useful for male partners with an inability to inseminate the female or with low sperm counts, etc.
Problems of ART
- It requires specialized professionals and expensive instrumentation. Therefore, these facilities are available only in very few centres.
- Emotional, religious, and social problems.
Legal adoption is a good method for couples looking for parenthood.