Infertility Treatment Options

Scientific advances over the past three decades have helped millions of couples start families. Today, effective medical treatments exist for every stage of the infertility journey. In many instances, an initial treatment will fail, while a later one succeeds.

Generally, treatments fall into five categories:

• Hormonal Therapy may be used if your body doesn't produce enough hormones, or fails to release a hormone at the right time. These therapies can replace or enhance your hormones and restore your ability to conceive, and they are often used in conjunction with other treatments outlined below.
• Surgery is often used to correct anatomical problems in either partner that cause infertility. Fortunately, surgery can correct all but the most severe problems.
• Artificial Insemination is the process of placing sperm directly into a woman's reproductive tract. It is usually performed when a man's sperm volume or concentration is low, or his sperm motility is decreased. It can also be used to overcome cervical mucus problems in a woman.
• Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) are used by about 5% of couples seeking treatment. ^[1] ART are sophisticated procedures, such as, that bypass the body's infertility problem to unite a sperm and egg.
• Micromanipulation Techniques are often used as part of ART to increase the chances of success. This technique involves injecting sperm directly into the egg in a laboratory and then transferring the embryo to the uterus. This is usually done when a man has a low sperm count, or sperm with low motility.