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Assistive Reproductive Technologies (ART)
Intrauterine Insemination
- sperm sample is given and the lab separates sperm from semen in order to prepare the sperm in a special culture medium; less active sperm are often removed
- sperm can be frozen for later or injected fresh into the uterus via a catheter
- often this is used in conjunction with fertility drugs such as clomiphene citrate (Clomid), Repronex, Gonal-F or Follistim
- this treatment is indicated when there are mild sperm problems, cervical factors or unexplained fertility
- the cost is much lower than the other ART procedures
- success rates range from 10-25%
Intracervical Insemination (ICI)
- semen is injected into the cervix with a catheter
- usually less effective
- indicated for young couples who have sexual or intercourse related problems
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
- mature eggs are taken from the ovaries and then fertilized with sperm in the lab
- in women under 35, only about 10 - 12 eggs are retrieved
- for fertilization, eggs and sperm are put in a petri dish and incubated over night
- if the sperm does not fertilize the egg an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) will be done; the sperm is injected into the egg using a pipette
- after 3-5 days of fertilization 2-4 pre-embryos are transferred back to the uterus and the rest are frozen for future attempts
- the cost of this procedure is typically $10 000 to $15 000