Facts about Assisted Reproductive Technology
Many people around the world cannot conceive for various reasons. Most common reasons being endometriosis, problems with egg number or quality, PCOS, tubal block, fibroids and male factor. Even though couples with these conditions may not be able to conceive on their own, most will be able to carry their children to term with some assistance from infertility specialists.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) or assisted reproduction is the use of medical technology to help couples produce children with the use of procedures like IUI or IVF. In this article, we will discuss some facts about assisted reproductive technology.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
ART is the general term that includes diverse procedures that share in common the artificial induction of ovulation or fertilization of an egg outside of the human body. IVF refers to the most successful form of ART.
ART is offered for both males and females’ infertility problems.
Advantages of Assisted Reproductive Technology
There are a lot of advantages of assisted reproductive technology. It is not all about treating infertility, Genetic screening is one of the advantages of assisted reproductive technology. It can be very useful in identifying genetic disorders. One can able to make the necessary changes for the baby not to get affected by these disorders. Following are advantages of ART:
1. IVF is the only option in few cases like bilateral tubal block, severe male factor infertility
2. Better success rate compared to any other infertility treatments
3. Increase chances of having a healthy pregnancy
4. Reduces the risk of miscarriage
Importance of Assisted Reproductive Technology
Most important aspect of society is ART reproduction. Infertility affects an estimated 8-10% of couples. Fortunately, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) can help these couples to conceive and deliver a healthy baby. The primary treatments used in ART include artificial insemination, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). ART is becoming more important these days for the couple trying to conceive. The technology has achieved its place in both women’s and male infertility management. ART technologies are improving with time and people would be able to treat their infertility issues with a higher success rate.
Human reproduction has come a long way, with advances in assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART presents the opportunity to overcome the obstacles that confront infertility. Infertility is not only for women but men as well. The ability to overcome barriers associated with traditional fertility treatments.
Let’s discuss now myths and facts of ART treatments
Myths and Facts about Assisted Reproductive Technology
| Myth | Fact |
| IVF is the treatment only useful to help couples to conceive | Although IVF is often used to help a woman who otherwise has difficulty conceiving a child, you don’t have to be infertile to benefit from IVF. You may choose IVF if either you or your partner has a genetic disorder that could be transmitted to your child and also if you are suffering with recurrent miscarriages related to poor egg or sperm quality to have a healthy pregnancy |
| IVF Always leads to multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets) | Though there is an increased chance of multiple pregnancies with IVF treatments, it’s not an absolute risk. Majority conceives with singleton pregnancy as well. Also, we can avoid multiple pregnancy risks if we opt for a Single embryo transfer. |
| You can do IVF at any age | As a woman ages, her reproductive system does, too. The quality of the egg is the most critical factor involved in determining the quality of the embryo. Success of IVF treatment in turn depends on the quality of embryos .
The rate of chromosomal abnormalities in eggs (and therefore also in embryos) increases significantly with advancing female age. |
| The babies conceived through ART will have problems such as birth defects, low birth weight, and developmental delays. | Babies born from IVF might be a little smaller than those conceived naturally, though they are typically still in the normal range. The majority of studies have not found an increased risk of birth defects in babies conceived with IVF. The use of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which is typically used when sperm quantity and/or quality is severely reduced, is associated with a very slight increase in chromosomal abnormalities and birth defects. |
Conclusion
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is a scientific, health care approach to increase the likelihood of pregnancy for those who are undergoing these treatments. ART includes several different types of treatments for patients with varying fertility issues.
We hope this article helped you to gain your understanding of ART and its importance for the future of fertility treatments and pregnancy.