Frequently Asked Questions about Assisted Reproduction

A) Assisted Reproductive Technology, ART is the title given to various fertility treatments inclusive of In- Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer (GIFT) or Zygote Intra-Fallopian Transfer (GIFT), Intracyto-plasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA) and Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE).

A) Advancements in the field of medicine, ARTs and technology have made pregnancy possible for a good amount of couples who opt for such treatments. The success rate from a past few years has gone quite high (it depends on a number of factors).

A) The clinics offering such therapies take a good amount of care. However, there can be some side effects due to prescribed medications. It is always better to discuss this issue with the doctor.

A) Sperm selection means the variation of the chances that a pregnancy of a particular gender will involve the physical separation of sperms. The human sperm is responsible for the determination of the sex of potential pregnancy.

A) The tests done are used for checking fertility in a woman during the occurrence of ovulation. There are other tests too, for detecting any abnormalities in her reproductive system.

A) For testing male infertility, a semen analysis done. If stats are believed, in about 40 percent of the cases, the cause lies with the males.

A) IVF is the process where the ovaries of the female partner are stimulated to produce eggs. These are later removed and put her partner's sperm in a petri dish for fertilization. The embryos are then transferred into her uterus after 2-3 days.

A) It is a medical centre specializing in the methods of diagnosis and treatment of fertility problems. It has a highly qualified specialist staff.

A) Yes, they are, according to evidences and studies all around the globe. But in some cases, if the father had the problem of sterility, then the child born out of genetic origin (using the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection), might have the same problem.

A) Both are of 2 types but are different from each other

Sterility - Primary: When a couple has not been able to conceive after a year of unprotected intercourse.

Secondary : When after having a child, a couple has not been able to conceive another pregnancy after unprotected intercourse for 2-3 years.

Infertility - Primary: When a couple conceives but has not been able to maintain a pregnancy for long (till child birth).

Secondary : When a couple after first successful pregnancy and labor, has not been able to maintain a second pregnancy for long.

A) Fundamentally, fertility problems affect a couple as a whole. The evidences say that in 50 percent of the cases the problem is with the female partner but in the other 40 percent cases, the male partner is the cause while in the remaining 10 percent cases, the reasons are unexplained. Proper amount of tests are done to determine the cause.

A) The chances of fertilization as well as pregnancy depend on a number of factors such as the conditions of a couple, the age factor and also the ART that is being used.