For couples or individuals in Tempe, Arizona and around the country who are going through infertility problems, treatment may seem confusing and overwhelming. But gaining a basic understanding of some of your treatment and procedure options may help take some of the mystery and worry out of the process, reducing stress and perhaps even improving chances of success. Educated patients are often the best patients, so take the time to learn some of the basics of the most common procedures and treatments such as intrauterine insemination, also known as artificial insemination.

This procedure is often a first treatment option for those with male infertility, cervical factor infertility, an allergy to semen, or unexplained infertility. Women who are using donor sperm may also choose intrauterine insemination as a means of getting pregnant. It is important that you first speak with your doctor about the possible causes of your infertility, and then work on pinpointing the problem by answering questions, submitting to exams, and going through various tests. Once the problem has been identified, the specialist will recommend certain treatments to help you overcome the condition and get pregnant.

Intrauterine insemination works by first collecting a semen sample—whether from the male partner or a sperm donor. The sample will be 'washed', which means that it will be put through a process in which the low quality sperm are taken out and any other debris is removed. This concentrates the sperm to improve the chances of success. The semen is analyzed for sperm count, motility, and to check for any diseases or problems. The woman who is undergoing the procedure will be monitored to determine ovulation so the treatment is performed at the appropriate time.

Unless coordinated with the woman's natural and normal ovulation cycle (the procedure is administered the day after an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH), fertility medication will be used to stimulate ovulation. In this case a human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection will be administered the day prior to insemination. The actual procedure consists of the woman lying on a table with legs in stirrups while a speculum is inserted into the vagina and then a catheter is inserted through the cervical opening into the uterus. A sperm sample attached to a syringe on the catheter is placed into the tube and into the uterus. 

The procedure takes about 20 minutes to perform and is administered in a doctor's office or fertility clinic. The woman will be asked to relax and lie on her back for a little bit before she is allowed to get up and resume normal activities or return to work. A pregnancy test will be taken after a couple of weeks either at home or in a doctor's office to determine whether the procedure was a success. If the procedure is not successful, couples may be encouraged to give IUI another chance before moving onto more expensive and more invasive procedures.

As with any other procedure, there are certain risks of which patients should be aware before proceeding with treatment. These include infection, cramping, and multiple pregnancies. When fertility medication is used, other side effects including nausea may be possible. Speak with a Tempe fertility specialist to learn more and go over potential risks and side effects prior to receiving treatment. The cost of the procedure is about $300 to $800 depending on geographic location and the clinic at which the patient chooses to receive treatment.  Compare this to the thousands of dollars required with many other procedures, and it's easy to see why a lot of couples first try IUI before other treatments.

Learn more about intrauterine insemination in Tempe, Arizona.

Couples or individuals who are struggling with infertility in the Naples, Florida area or other parts of the country may find relief from this unfortunate condition through in vitro fertilization, or IVF for short. This procedure has helped individuals across the globe achieve their goals through this proven treatment option. Those who are experiencing infertility should speak with a fertility specialist to help determine the cause of the problem. Once the cause of infertility has been established, patients may begin exploring their treatment options. IVF may be used to help couples with various causes of infertility conceive successfully.

IVF is a procedure that involves the combination of sperm and eggs in a dish in a laboratory to create embryos, which may be later transferred to the uterus or frozen for use in future cycles. The female may be given fertility drugs to stimulate the ovary so that several mature eggs may be produced. Some women may choose not to take the fertility drugs, however, although the odds of developing more eggs may be decreased in such cases. While on fertility drugs, the fertility specialist will monitor the patient , as women may respond differently to the medication. Some complain of flushing or headaches while taking fertility drugs.

The temperature and hormones of the female will be monitored and an ultrasound will be conducted a few days before ovulation to make sure that the eggs are ready to be retrieved. An anesthetic is required during egg retrieval and an ultrasound is performed to identify the eggs. A fine needle is used to retrieve the eggs while using ultrasound guidance throughout the procedure. The egg retrieval process takes about 15 minutes to half an hour to perform, and most women experience only minimal pain afterwards.

The IVF cycle may take about four to six weeks to complete. The couple may expect to spend a few hours one day at the clinic to retrieve the eggs and for the fertilization procedure. The female will then return to the clinic for the embryo transfer. Sterile conditions are provided for the transfer. A fine tube is used to place the embryos in the uterus, and the specialist will use about two to three embryos during each cycle to help reduce the risk of multiple births. Extra embryos may be frozen for future use if the cycle is not successful. This could help cut costs on future cycles, too.

The success rate for IVF varies depending on various factors including the age of the woman undergoing the procedure, as well as the cause of infertility. Women over 35 may have a lower success rate than women who are younger than 35, although this varies. Using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in which a sperm is directly injected into an egg, may improve the chance of fertilization, but will not improve the chances of success following fertilization. Patients should consult a Naples fertility specialist to discuss success rates in greater detail.

Learn more about in vitro fertilization in Naples, Florida. 

Couples who are struggling with infertility in the New York, New York area may turn to surrogacy to achieve their dream of becoming parents. Depending on the cause of the infertility, couples or individuals may first try specific procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intrauterine insemination, also known as artificial insemination, but if these are unsuccessful surrogacy may be their next step. It is, of course, important to discuss one's infertility with a fertility specialist, but patients may find that inquiring about surrogacy can be very rewarding.

Surrogacy is a process that requires the use of a surrogate carrier who will carry a child to term for an otherwise infertile couple. Pregnancy may be achieved through artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization using eggs and sperm from the parents, or using donor sperm and/or eggs. In some cases, eggs from the surrogate carrier may be used to achieve pregnancy.

Candidates who may consider surrogacy include women with problems conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term; single women or couples who would like a child who has a genetic connection to one of the partners; gay male couples who want a child who has a genetic connection to one of the partners; women who have undergone a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus); women who are over the age of 45; women who have a cardiovascular or renal disease that may lead to complications during their pregnancy; and couples or individuals who have unexplained causes of infertility. Patients should discuss their infertility with a fertility specialist.

With so many different things to deal with when choosing surrogacy, the process may seem stressful to some. Fortunately there are various services available that help to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety that come with this process by handling many of the legal, financial or even immigration issues. A legal contract should be in place before beginning the surrogacy process so that the rights of all parties are protected. The surrogate carrier will sign the contract before the procedure. A gestational carrier, which means the surrogate carrier did not use her eggs to create the embryo, may carry less risk of the surrogate carrier becoming attached to the child because she is not genetically related to the child. Separate legal counsel for the parents and the surrogate carrier is usually a good idea to avoid conflicts and to make sure that everybody's rights are protected in the contract.

Surrogacy is an expensive proposition that should be carefully considered. The price may range from $20,000 to $120,000. In some cases it may be even higher. A fee will be paid to the surrogate by the parents, and any preparation, screening tests, necessities during pregnancy, agency fees, delivery fees, etc. will be paid by the parents. It is important to consider all of the costs involved before beginning the process so that there are no unexpected costs or problems along the way.

Learn more about surrogacy in New York, New York.

Couples who are struggling with infertility in the Honolulu, Hawaii area as well as in other parts of the country often turn to fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) to find relief and help them achieve their goals. This is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) that has helped many couples overcome various causes of infertility through a proven method of combining sperm and eggs in a lab so they may form an embryo which is later transferred to the uterus for implantation. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI, is a procedure used along with IVF by many couples.

First, IVF works by combining sperm and eggs in a glass dish in a laboratory to create several embryos. 'In vitro' literally means 'in glass' in Latin. Not all embryos are transferred to the uterus for implantation to help reduce the risk of multiple births, although this risk still exists to an extent because more than one embryo is transferred per cycle. The transferred embryos may implant in the uterine lining where they may develop into a fetus and the mother may carry the child to term.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a procedure that involves the direct injection of a single sperm into a mature egg. This procedure may be used in cases of severe male factor infertility such as those with low sperm counts or problems with sperm motility. Men who have undergone a vasectomy reversal and may have sperm antibodies present that are preventing them from conceiving may also find ICSI helpful in achieving their goals. What's more, couples who have undergone previous unsuccessful IVF cycles may find this procedure useful, as well as women with certain egg production problems and men who have a blockage in their reproductive tract.

It is important that patients speak with a trained professional in the Honolulu area to help them determine if IVF or ICSI may be right for them. Patients should discuss possible risks and complications associated with IVF and/or ICSI. Possible birth defects resulting from the use of ICSI are rare, but should be discussed nonetheless. These include Beckwith-Wiedmann syndrome, Angelman syndrome, hypospadias and sex chromosome abnormalities (Down syndrome, etc.). What's more, possible complications include damage being done to the egg or the egg not growing into an embryo or stop growing altogether.

ICSI may help to improve the chances of fertilization, but when this occurs, the chances of a pregnancy that is carried to term are not improved compared to cases in which only IVF is used. This is another subject that patients should consult a fertility specialist regarding, as there are various factors that may influence the possible chances of success for each individual or couple. IVF may range in price from $10,000 to $15,000 with ICSI adding an additional $1,200 to $1,800 to the total cost. This is variable and most insurance companies do not cover cost, so patients should seek consultation for a more accurate estimate of total costs.

Learn more about intracytoplasmic sperm injection in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a procedure in use in Honolulu, Hawaii as well as in other parts of the country and the world. It is a technology that fertility specialists may use to identify genetic defects that may be present in embryos that are created through the use of in vitro fertilization (IVF), so it is used with many couples or individuals who are experiencing infertility. If one or both of the parents have a known genetic abnormality, PGD may be used to identify defects in embryos. The embryos are put through series of tests to check for the most common chromosome abnormalities so that normal embryos are used during the procedure.

Of course, not all genetic disorders may be effectively diagnosed using PGD, but identifying several potential abnormalities before the embryos are transferred to the woman's uterus helps to reduce the risk of genetic defects in embryos. The procedure works by taking a couple cells from the embryos by biopsy for testing. This is done about three days after fertilization with in vitro fertilization. Some cases may allow the specialist to remove the cells at a later stage, after about five days. Removing cells at a later stage may be less damaging and allows the doctor to analyze more cells for a more accurate diagnosis.

Patients who are interested should discuss PGD with a fertility specialist to help them determine if it is right for them. Those who have a history of miscarriage due to genetic disorders, have experienced several IVF failures, men with severe male factor infertility, those with a child who has a genetic disease and may be at a higher risk of having another with a genetic defect and couples who have a family history of X-linked disorders may be considered candidates for treatment. Those who are looking for a tissue match for a sick sibling who may be cured using transplanted cells may also find this procedure helpful. What's more, those who are carriers of various autosomal recessive diseases or autosomal dominant diseases may be candidates for this treatment, too.

There may be a risk of a false positive or false negative test result with PGD, as with many other tests. Chromosomal inconsistencies may be present from one cell to the next, which may lead to the false test result as the cell that is used for PGD may not be representative of all other cells of the embryo. In some cases, with only a couple cells used, inconclusive genetic results may lead to inaccuracies in diagnosis. As a result, additional testing may be performed in early pregnancy to defect or confirm certain problems.

The cost of the procedure is expensive and may be around $3,500; most insurance plans do not cover the cost of treatment, although patients are encouraged to speak with their Honolulu fertility specialist as well as insurance company for more information and to determine if the procedure may be covered.

Learn more about preimplantation genetic diagnosis in Honolulu, Hawaii.