Benefits and Risks of Infertility Treatments for Childless Couples

It is estimated that about 10% of the couples in the US have fertility problems. However it is observed that 90% of these couples have a possibility of benefiting from infertility treatment. The infertility treatment method for these couples will depend upon the causes of the infertility. It will depend upon whether the problem lies with the man, woman or both. In some cases the exact cause may not be known. Here are some of the infertility treatments and the benefits and risks involved.

Although there are many types of infertility problems there are few treatment methods available. The infertility treatments available for couples include fertility drugs, surgery, intrauterine insemination, assisted reproductive technologies or ART including in vitro fertilization (IVF) and zygote intrafallopian transfer or ZIFT. Fortunately about 85 to 90% of the couples having fertility problems can be treated with low-tech methods like drugs or surgery and only 3% actually need expensive high-tech assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF.

In women about 25% of infertility problems are caused by ovulation disorders. Fertility drugs are the first step in the treatment of ovulation problems. These drugs can help women to ovulate about 80 percent of the time. Clomid (clomiphene citrate) is probably the most widely known fertility drug. It is usually the first drug prescribed for treatment. It is estimated that about 45% of the couples taking Clomid will have a successful pregnancy within 6 cycles of its use. The other common fertility drugs used are Arimidex (anastrozole), Femara (letrozole) and Gonadotropins including FSH, LH, and hCG.

Like any other type of drug fertility drugs also have potential risks and some side effects. However, their ability to create miracles far outweighs the risks. They are also generally quite effective. Multiples especially twins are quite common for fertility drug treatment. Another risk of using fertility drugs is what is known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). When this occurs the ovaries get enlarged unusually and get filled with fluid. During ovulation the fluid may be released into the woman's body and cause complications. However, usually OHSS is mild and easily treated at home.

In abour 35% of the infertility cases in women the problems lie in the fallopian tubes or in the pelvis or abdominal lining. These problems can be diagnosed by a test known as hysterosalpingogram or HSG. In case a problem with the fallopian tube is found then a laparoscopic surgery may be carried out to try and repair the defect or problem. There is very little risk involved in laparoscopic procedures and therefore these are quite safe. Surgery is also performed in cases of fibroids, genetic defects and ovarian cysts to clear the way. In a few cases however an abdominal incision may become necessary.

Intrauterine Insemination or IUI, known commonly as artificial insemination, involves placing a specially prepared sperm inside the uterus directly. This may be done both in case of female and male factor infertilities. It may also be used with a donor sperm. However the success rate of this procedure is not very high. Higher success rates are obtained when intrauterine insemination is used in conjunction with fertility drugs for producing higher quality eggs. The major benefit of IUI is that it costs much less than in vitro fertilization and hence the cost of failure is much less.

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are those infertility treatments which involve handling of embryos and eggs. These include in vitro fertilization (IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT). Out of these IVF is the commonly used form of ART. In IVF at first fertility drugs are given to stimulate the production of eggs in the ovaries. The eggs are then taken out of the ovaries and are brought in contact with sperm in a specialized medium for fertilization to occur. After fertilization the embryos are placed back in the woman's uterus.

In GIFT the egg and sperm, instead of outside, are fertilized inside a fallopian tube. In ZIFT a zygote is placed inside one fallopian tube using laparoscopic procedure. The ART procedures have a low rate of success and are very expensive. There is also risk of multiple and premature deliveries. The high cost may drain a couple's finances without showing any results. However in cases ehere they succeed they can being a lot of cheer in a couple's life.