Fertility Technology…Innovation for People Struggling to Have Children

Difficulty having children may have been a major problem for couples in the past, but with advances in medical technology

the problem has almost disappeared thanks to fertility assistance technologies, which come in many methods. Today, Dr. Nopparat Chaiburanapanakul, an obstetrician and gynecologist specializing in infertility and reproductive medicine at Phyathai 3 Hospital, will update the methods that help couples achieve their goal of having children.

What are the fertility assistance technologies?

Dr. Nopparat explains the technologies used to treat infertility, which are popular and effective, consisting of the following methods:

1. 1. Intrauterine Insemination: IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) The doctor will stimulate the eggs using oral or injectable medications and monitor the egg growth with ultrasound. Once the ovulation day is known, the male partner is scheduled to provide a sperm sample, which is then selected for good quality sperm before being directly injected into the uterus to allow natural fertilization. This method has a 15-20% chance of pregnancy, but if the sperm quality is poor or the woman is older, the chance of pregnancy decreases.
   2. In-vitro Fertilization: IVF (In-vitro Fertilization) This popular method starts with stimulating the ovaries to produce more eggs than in an IUI cycle, using injections for 8-12 days on average, and monitoring follicle growth with ultrasound every 3-5 days until the eggs reach the appropriate stage.
   3. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection: ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) This involves injecting sperm directly into the egg and is a step within IVF. ICSI is used when the male partner has poor sperm quality that cannot fertilize the egg naturally, or in cases where no sperm are present in the semen and sperm must be retrieved directly from the testicles or epididymis through procedures such as PESA (Percutaneous Epididymis Sperm Aspiration), MESA (Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration), or TESE (Testicular Biopsy Sperm Extraction).

The success of pregnancy depends on many factors, including age, the number and quality of eggs, uterine conditions, and sperm quality. Therefore, couples should always consult a doctor to choose the most suitable method for themselves and their partner.