Assisted Reproductive Technologies

How does Artificial insemination (AI) work?

Sperm is placed in the vagina by a physician

Who uses Artificial insemination (AI)?

An infertile couple

A women who does not have a male partner and wants a child

How does In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) work?

Fertilization takes place outside the body, in a laboratory procedure

The fertilized oocytes are implanted in the uterus

Who uses In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?

A woman who has damaged or blocked oviducts

How does In Vitro Maturation (IVM) work?

Primary follicles are removed from the uterus and induced to mature into secondary oocytes.

IVM is used to produce numerous oocytes for IVF

Who uses In Vitro Maturation (IVM)?

A women who will undergo IVF

How does Superovulation work?

is used to produce multiple eggs for IVF, to increase the chance of pregnancy

FSH injections stimulate the development of multiple follicles

Who uses Superovulation?

A women who is undergoing IVF

a women who does not ovulate regularly, frequently, or at all

How does Surrogate Motherhood work?

A fertilized oocyte from an infertile couple (obtained by IVF) is placed in the uterus of the surrogate mother.

Alternatively, a surrogate mother undergoes AI, using the sperm from the male of the infertile couple

Who uses Surrogate Motherhood?

A woman who cannot bring a child to term

A couple who is unfertile due to unknown causes or due to factors that cannot be overcome by other technologies

How does Cryopreservation work?

Oocytes, semen and even embryos are preserved by freezing.

Who uses Cryopreservation?

A male or female cancer patient, who may become infertile or sterile due to radiation therapy

or a sperm bank that supplies semen for AI

What is infertility?

difficulty having children.

An infertile male has?

a low sperm count

An infertile female may?

ovulate but have blocked oviducts

What is sterility?

Inhability to have children.

Streile men produce?

no sperm

Sterile women produce?

no mature eggs

What causes sterility and infertility in women?

• blocked oviducts

• Faliure to ovulate

• Endometriosis

• Damaged eggs

What causes sterility and infertility in men?

Blocked vas deferens / epididymis

Low sperm count

Abnormal sperm