A Guide to Fertility Treatments

If you have been trying to have a baby for some time, then perhaps it's time to investigate fertility treatments. With so many options, investigating treatment options can quickly become a daunting task. You will need to consider medical history, convenience and cost before making any decisions.

Preparing for Infertility Treatments
Before you begin treatments for infertility, you will need to compile a full medical history for both you and your partner. This will help doctors to identify anything that might have contributed to poor fertility. Doctors will also want to run tests on both men and women. About one-third of infertility is caused by a low sperm count, while common problems with women include fallopian tube damage and poor ovulation. Doctors will do smear tests, blood tests, sperm tests and urine tests to identify potential problems before recommending treatments.

Treating Infertility with Drugs
If you are having trouble with ovulation, and are not producing enough eggs, some fertility treatments use drugs to get the process started. The most common of these is clomiphene citrate, which is a pill that stimulates estrogen production. You may experience mood swings, nausea, headaches, hot flashes and heavy periods and you may gain weight. The costs associated with fertility treatments using clomiphene citrate are about $50 per month for the drug itself, and you may have to take it for up to six months.

Gonadotrophins stimulate the pituitary gland to start ovulation if it has failed. Side effects include feeling nauseous, stomach pains, heavy periods and headaches. This drug is injected into the bloodstream with a battery-operated pump. With both of these drugs, between 20% and 60% of women get pregnant, though these may be combined with other treatments such as IVF. The costs for fertility treatments with gonadotrophins are between $2,000 and $5,000 per month. You may have to take these for three to six months, and you may have multiple births if you conceive. It is rare to use drug treatments for male infertility.

Surgery
Surgical fertility treatments correct issues such as ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, scar tissue or blocked fallopian tubes. Most surgeries are performed through a small incision, also known as keyhole surgery, which reduces recovery time. However, you may feel a bit of discomfort in your abdomen for a few days after the surgery. Some 40% to 60% of women who receive treatment for scar tissue or endometriosis manage to conceive. This rate rises to up to 90% when the treatment is for blocked tubes. The costs of surgery can range from $3,000 to $10,000. Men may also have surgery to remove sperm for use in other fertility treatments.

Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination, also known as intra-uterine insemination (IUI), is one of the simplest fertility treatments, and it works for 5% to 25% of the women who have the treatment. The doctor uses a catheter to inject sperm into your uterus. If you are using fertility drugs, insertion is timed to coincide with the release of a mature egg. If you are not, then the sperm is inserted mid-cycle. This treatment for fertility costs between $300 and $700.

IVF
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is used when your fallopian tubes are blocked. With this fertility treatment, the doctor removes eggs from your ovaries and fertilizes them with sperm in a lab. This is why IVF babies are commonly called test-tube babies. Once the eggs are fertilized, a couple of eggs are placed in the womb. This treatment is most effective in younger women, where 25% have babies. For those over 40, the rate is about 10%. You may have to use fertility drugs along with this treatment. This fertility treatment may cost between $8,000 and $15,000. IVF may also take place with donor eggs, which is more costly.

GIFT and ZIFT
With gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), the doctor mixes eggs and sperm in a lab before injecting them into your fallopian tubes. With GIFT fertilization takes place in the body, while with ZIFT fertilization takes place before the mixture is injected. Up to 30% of women who use these fertility treatments conceive. These fertility treatments cost about the same as IVF. Since the eggs are injected with a laparoscope, it may take some time to recover from the operation.

ICSI
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a new fertility treatment that helps with male infertility. Doctors inject one sperm into an egg before placing it in the uterus. This technique has a 35% success rate for conception. This treatment for infertility costs can range from $10,000 and $17,000.

Surrogates
Using a surrogate mother (also called a gestational carrier) is another option for couples facing infertility. You can do this using your partner's sperm and your eggs, donor eggs and your partner's sperm or the surrogate's eggs and your partner's sperm. Depending on the combination you choose, doctors will use either IVF or artificial insemination to start the process. Surrogacy is expensive, as you have to pay for any treatments and medical expenses for both you and the surrogate, as well as the costs of a legal adoption. Costs can range from $15,000 to $50,000. There is always the chance that the surrogate will change her mind, leaving you to start all over again. However, many women have successfully had children using this method. Trust is the most important factor in choosing a surrogate.