It is as important for the man as it is for the woman to undergo certain tests before the IVF cycle is started. Fertility is not only an issue for a woman, but it also might be for the man in question. There are certain tests that need to be conducted on men before they can gear up for IVF:

1. Semen Analysis: One of the most important tests for male infertility is semen analysis. Sometimes, a man may be completely healthy, but his sperm production could be of poor quality. Semen analysis is done to provide an accurate evaluation of sperm number, the ability to move (motility), size and shape (morphology), as well as the consistency and volume of the sample collected.

2. Binding Test: Sometimes agglutination occurs where the sperms might stick to each other by their heads or tails. Sperm antibodies might cause this problem. The IVF treatment's success might be compromised if this happens. A simple binding test is done to determine this.

3. Trial Wash: This is also known as sperm wash. It is mostly done to remove chemicals from the sperm. Not doing a sperm wash might end up affecting the later stages of the IVF treatment. In this process, the misshapen and immotile sperm is separated so a clean sample of motile and healthy sperm can be collected.

4. TUNEL Assay: Since sperms build up about half of a child's genetic makeup, a TUNEL Assay or 'sperm DNA test' is required. This test is done to measure the sperm population that have fragmented DNA. Negative impacts on genetics can hamper the success of the fertility treatment.

TUNEL Assay is usually recommended to men with:
a) Leukocytes detected by the sperm analysis
b) Age approaching 50
c) A history of diabetes II type or prostatitis
d) Exposure to chemicals or prolonged heat at workplaces

5. Screening for Infectious Diseases: This test is done for both the partners to check for diseases like AIDS, Hepatitis C, and so on.

Tests Suggested for Men Before IVF

When we talk about infertility attention usually falls on treatment for women. However, infertility can affect men as well. The condition of infertility, can be described as the inability to become pregnant for a period of 1 year despite having unprotected, well-timed sexual intercourse. A low sperm count is one of the primary reasons for infertility in men.

Typically there should be fifteen million sperm per milliliter of semen. Low sperm count refers to the ejaculation of less than a normal amount of sperm in semen. This can also be termed as oligospermia. A complete absence of sperm in semen is known as azoospermia. Low sperm count does not mean that you cannot impregnate your partner but it reduces the chance of a successful conception. Thus, one of the most common ways to treat infertility caused by low sperm count is IVF.

IVF involves harvesting eggs from the woman s uterus and sperm from the male partner and combining them in a laboratory to form a zygote. When IVF is used to treat male infertility, a semen analysis is the first step. This helps determine the patient s sperm count, sperm motility, volume, pH levels, white blood cell levels etc.
The ejaculated semen is then processed so as to separate the sperm cells from the plasma. In this process sperm cells with higher motility are identified and segregated. These cells have a higher chance of fertilizing the egg.
Sperm cells are then injected into the harvested egg. Some techniques may require the injection of 50,000 or more sperm cells while others such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) can be effective with a single sperm cell. Once the egg is fertilized, it is allowed to develop for a few days in the laboratory. 
Two or three embryos are then selected to be reintroduced into the woman s uterus with the help of a catheter. The remaining fertilized embryos are preserved in an embryo bank in case the pregnancy is not successful. If these need to be used later, the woman does not have to go through the initial stages of IVF treatment to stimulate the follicles and harvest eggs from the ovaries.
When it comes to IVF, the success rates are very high. However, one of the most common side effects is the birth of twins or triplets. This is because multiple embryos are inserted into the uterus. The number of babies born then depends on the number of embryos that are implanted successfully.

Declining Sperm Count - How IVF Can Help Deal With It?

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are two commonly used methods of fertility treatment, which increase a couple s chance of becoming pregnant.

The Procedure

IUI- IUI is a procedure during which processed and concentrated motile sperm are inserted directly into a woman s uterus. This procedure is timed according to a woman s ovulation, and may be performed one to two times in the days immediately following the detection of ovulation. After ovulation a woman s egg is picked up by the fallopian tube and waits there for the sperm. Since the IUI procedure deposits higher concentrations of good quality sperm close to where the egg is waiting, the chances that the egg and sperm will find one another are increased.

IVF- IVF is the most successful method of fertility treatment utilized today to help couples to conceive. The basic components of the IVF process include stimulation of the ovaries to produce multiple eggs at a time, removal of the eggs from the ovary (egg retrieval), fertilization of the eggs in the laboratory, and subsequent placement of the resulting embryos into the uterus (embryo transfer). The chance of pregnancy from IVF depends primarily on the age of the woman, the cause of infertility, and factors related to the quality of the IVF laboratory.

Success Rates

IUI Treatment: There is a marked difference between IVF and IUI pregnancy rates. IUI has a success rate between 5% and 20%, but it can even be as low as 1-2 %, depending on the woman s age and fertility levels. The chances of conceiving through IUI is higher if fertility drugs are administered along with the treatment.

IVF Treatment: IVF has a high success rate   between 20% and 35% and it can even go as high as 40%. This may not seem like a lot, but it is very high, considering that an average young and fertile couple has only a 15-20% chance to conceive in a month. It is important to understand what IVF and IUI success rates mean and the factors that affect it before deciding on a fertility treatment. You can also use any reliable online IUI vs IVF comparison tool to determine your approximate success rates with each of these treatments, depending on your age, lifestyle, and medical history.

You should use online sources of information to understand more about fertility problems, how age affects fertility levels, and whether freezing your eggs is a good option for you. However, discuss all these issues with your doctor to ensure that you have the right information and that you have understood it correctly. Fertility specialists provide you with personalized fertility plans based on your health which is why you should always talk to them before you make any decision.

IVF or IUI - Which One Should You Opt for?

The fallopian tubes are not mere passages for the egg to travel from the ovaries to the uterus. It is here that conception occurs and hence healthy fallopian tubes are essential for the fertilization of an egg. 

Damaged fallopian tubes are the most common cause of infertility. This damage can fall under three categories. 

 Blocked fallopian tubes
 One blocked and one open fallopian tube
 Tubal scarring

The third is usually an effect of pelvic infections or natural healing after a pelvic surgery. Sadly, in most cases, this condition is discovered only after infertility has been diagnosed. Other causes of fallopian tubal scarring include:

 Stds such as chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhea
 Adhesions caused by ruptured ovarian cysts
 Appendicitis
 Peritonitis
 A history of ectopic pregnancies

Fallopian tubal scarring has no recognizable symptoms. Chronic pelvic pain is the only known symptom of this damage and that too can be seen only in severe cases of tubal scarring. On diagnosing infertility, your doctor will perform one of these tests to determine the condition of your fallopian tubes.

 Hysterosalpingogram: this is a type of x-ray. Your doctor will open the vagina with a speculum and inject a liquid into the uterus with the help of a catheter. If the liquid does not pass through the fallopian tubes, it is said to be blocked. This however, does not say much about tubal scarring.
 Laparoscopy: a small incision is made below the belly button and a slim, flexible tube with a camera is passed through the incision. This gives your doctor a clear view of the condition of your fallopian tubes. A laparoscopy can also be used to rule out other causes of infertility such as endometriosis or blocked fallopian tubes. 

Treatment for infertility caused by tubal scarring is of two types:

 Surgery: this is suggested in cases where tubal scarring is minimal. Depending on the intensity and placement of scar tissue, your doctor may decide to perform one of many types of surgeries. He may choose to remove the scarred section of the fallopian tube, create a new opening (in case of blockages) or rebuild the damaged edges of the fallopian tubes.
 In vitro fertilization (ivf): women with badly scarred fallopian tubes usually have poor chances of conceiving naturally. Hence, ivf is the preferred treatment route. However, your doctor may still advise you to undergo surgery and remove the damaged tubes prior to ivf to prevent the tubes from filling with fluid.

Tubal Scarring and Infertility

When a childless couple is not able to conceive, there are myriad paths that the couple may follow to obtain a solution. If IVF does not help the couple, then they can go in for surrogacy. In this method, another lady conceives, carries and gives birth to the baby created by the sperm and eggs of the intended parents. Let us find out more about surrogacy today.

Who can use it?
Surrogacy can be availed by couples who are not able to conceive due to many conclusive reasons including the absence of a womb or the malfunctioning of the same. Also, recurrent miscarriages can be one of the reasons. Further, a couple who has been through IVF or In Vitro Fertilisation implantation failure a number of times can opt for surrogacy.

How does it Work?
Full surrogacy, as it is known, is a process of implanting an embryo in a host body. This embryo is usually created using the egg and the sperm of the parents, or even a fertilised egg that has been donated by a donor, which is then fertilised using the sperm from the intended father. Also, this embryo may be created by using donor eggs and donor sperms. Partial surrogacy is also a method that may be used. When artificial insemination or intrauterine insemination (IUI) is used to create an embryo with the sperm from the intended father and the egg from the surrogate mother, then the process is known as partial surrogacy.

Chance of having a baby with surrogacy
The chance of having a baby with surrogacy depend on various factors. It depends on the ability of the surrogate to get pregnant, as well as her overall health. Before choosing a surrogate, it is important to put her through all the necessary tests to ascertain a good state of health. Further, the age of the egg donor is also a factor in such cases. The success of related procedures like IVF or IUI will also determine the chances of conception through this method. Furthermore, the quality of the elements used by the couple or the intended parents will also make a difference to the process and its efficacy. Yet, the most important factor includes the age of the woman whose egg is being used.

Difference between IVF and Surrogacy
In IVF, the eggs are gathered from the woman and the sperm is taken from her partner before an embryo is created and affixed in the uterus of the intended mother. In surrogacy, it is actually another woman who carries this lab-created embryo through methods like artificial insemination. The sperm may come from the father and the egg may be donated by someone else, in many cases involving full or partial surrogacy.

What is Surrogacy and how it is different from IVF

What are the factors that make a woman fertile? + The most effective way to address infertility

Infertility is the inability to get pregnant after a year of unprotected intercourse. Both men and women can be infertile.

In about one-third of cases, the cause of infertility involves only the male.

In about one-third of cases, the cause of infertility involves only the female.

In the remaining cases, the cause of infertility involves both the male and female or no cause can be identified.

Women are born with a finite number of eggs. Thus, as the reproductive years progress, the number and quality of the eggs diminish. The chances of having a baby decrease by 3% to 5% per year after the age of 30 and this reduction is noted to a much greater extent after age 40.

Female infertility can also be caused by a number of factors including:

1. Damage to fallopian tubes

Damage to the fallopian tubes can prevent contact between the egg and sperm. Pelvic infections, endometriosis, and pelvic surgeries can lead to fallopian tube damage.

2. Hormonal causes

This can lead to ovulation disorders which prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs such as in polycystic ovary syndrome ,  hyperprolactinemia or disorders of the thyroid gland - hyperthyroidism / hypothyroidism, can interrupt the menstrual cycle and cause infertility.

3. Cervical causes

A small group of women may have a problem in which the sperm cannot pass through the cervical canal. Whatever the reason is , this problem may be treated with intrauterine inseminations.

4. Uterine causes

Abnormal anatomy and distortion of the uterine cavity due to the presence of polyps and fibroids or problem with the endometrial lining can lead to failed implantation of the embryo.

Endometriosis occurs when endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus - often affecting the function of the ovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes.

5. Primary Ovarian Insufficiency:

Also called as Premature Menopause, when the ovaries stop working prematurely before the age of 40. Certain conditions are associated with early menopause like immune system diseases, radiation or chemotherapy and smoking.

Causes of male infertility may include:

1. Abnormal sperm production or function due to various problems, such as undescended testicles, genetic defects, health problems including diabetes, prior infections such as mumps, trauma or prior surgeries on the testicles or inguinal region.

2. Problems with the delivery of sperm, due to sexual problems, such as premature or retrograde ejaculation, certain genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, structural problems, such as blockage of the epididymis, or damage to the reproductive organs.

3. Overexposure to certain chemicals and toxins, such as pesticides, radiation, tobacco smoke, alcohol, frequent exposure to heat can elevate the testicular temperature, impairing sperm production.

4. Damage related to cancer and its treatment, including radiation or chemotherapy for which timely cryopreservation can be done for future use.

5. Unexplained infertility, In approximately 20% of couples the cause cannot be determined using the currently available methods of investigation.

Why is IVF the best way to treat infertility in women?

Conception is a complicated process that depends on upon many factors:

On the production of healthy sperm by the man and healthy eggs by the woman

The sperm's ability to fertilize the egg when they meet.

The ability of the fertilized egg (embryo) to become implanted in the woman's uterus

IVF (or in-vitro fertilization) is a lab procedure where the sperm and the egg are combined in a dish (where fertilization takes place) and is followed by transferring the embryo (the fertilized egg) into the uterus. It is increasingly being used as a method to conceive as it has been established as a safe procedure that helps bypass a number of complications women may face while conceiving such as ovulation problems and issues with the fallopian tube.

Even women who face issues such as PCOS, endometriosis, and premature ovarian failure can conceive through this process. Moreover, IVF has been in practice since 1978 and has a safe track record. The success rates of IVF are high as well, making it a preferred procedure for couples who suffer from fertility problems. Unexplained infertility can also be treated with the help of this procedure.



What factors that  make a woman fertile? + The most effective way to address infertility

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