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Fertility Treatment: About Options
There are only a few causes of infertility for which In Vitro Fertilization is the only fertility treatment option. These causes include severely damaged or blocked fallopian tubes, and/or extremely few to no sperm in the ejaculate.
For most other causes of infertility, it is possible that a patient or couple may be able to conceive without assistance or with a less aggressive approach, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI).
In developing a fertility treatment plan, the difficulty often lies in estimating the odds of conceiving with any one fertility treatment method, considering the patient's age and diagnosis. We do know that IVF is probably one of the most efficient forms of fertility treatment, in that it usually provides for the highest rates of successful conception for any one treatment cycle. For some people with less severe causes for their infertility, non-IVF approaches may prove successful. For others, IVF is realistically the best way to achieve pregnancy within a reasonable period of time.
If the female partner is relatively young and her infertility has not been long-standing, a fertility specialist may prescribe fertility medications in combination with scheduled intercourse or intrauterine insemination in order to increase chances of conception. Whether or not to move directly to in vitro fertilization or to consider other approaches will depend on the patient's age, her diagnosis, and how long she has been trying to conceive.
If a fertility treatment plan does not include IVF, it is usually a good idea to decide at the outset how many cycles of treatments, such as intrauterine insemination with clomiphene or injectable medications, will be undertaken. The patient and the fertility specialist should also discuss what course of action they will take if the treatments are unsuccessful.
In general, as the age of the female partner increases, the amount of cycles utilizing treatments other than IVF should be limited. Many women, however, will still conceive with less aggressive fertility treatments. Therefore, options such as IUI and fertility medication should at least be considered and discussed with your reproductive endocrinologist during consultation.
This section of the Pacific Fertility Center web site is designed to help you understand what fertility treatment options are available to you, when specific treatments should be considered, and the benefits and risks inherent in varying treatment plans.
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