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Whether you’re considering going to a fertility clinic or already seeing a fertility specialist, the fertility jargon can be hard to understand. We spoke to Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist Dr. Alexander Doo 杜堅能醫生 to explain basic fertility-related terms. Here is your expert guide to fertility treatments in Hong Kong, including IVF, IUI, PGD and more.
Cycle monitoring is often the first step women take when they visit a fertility clinic with suspected fertility issues. Cycle monitoring looks at your ovulation cycle and requires you to visit the clinic a few times a month, to track the progress of the follicle and endometrium. It can also help to diagnose abnormalities with the uterus and ovaries. Ultrasounds and blood tests help to determine exactly when you are ovulating and any underlying hormonal imbalances that may contribute to your infertility. Fallopian tubal patency checking should also be done. This is the first step in diagnosing any fertility issues.
This is the male equivalent of cycle monitoring. In order to gauge any existing issues, the man is required to -ahem – produce a sample of sperm to be analyzed in the lab. Lucky guys, it’s a whole lot easier than visiting the clinic multiple times a month!
In order to stimulate the ovaries to produce an increased number of eggs, women will be prescribed oral medications or injectable hormonal stimulants. The more eggs a woman produces, the higher the chance one will be inseminated, whether it be natural, artificial or in vitro insemination but the tradeoff is multiple pregnancies. Like natural cycles, a stimulated cycle must also be monitored to determine when a woman is ovulating.
Sperm washing involves removing any mucus and non-motile sperm in the semen to improve the chances of fertilization by concentrating the more “healthy” sperm. Sperm washing occurs before a semen sample is used to fertilize an egg during IVF or IUI and ideally perform after sexual abstinence for more than two but less than five days prior to collection.
IUI is generally seen as the less expensive form of assisted reproductive treatments (ARTs) but the pregnancy rate is lower than IVF – in fact it only returns the patient’s fertility chances to the equivalent to a woman of her own age. In an IUI procedure, treated sperm (washed semen) is inserted into the cavity of the uterus so that it is nearer the ovaries right before ovulation to increase the chance of fertilization. The IUI technique is often used for unexplained infertility, ovulatory problems, sexual dysfunction, lower sperm count, decreased sperm motility, cervical scarring or mucus issues. In some cases, IUI is accompanied by ovarian stimulation to ensure ovulation and increase the chance of conception.
IVF is the most well known assisted reproductive treatment. It refers to when a sperm fertilizes an egg outside the body. The IVF process takes four to six weeks and consists of six stages:
ICSI is a technique used in the egg fertilization stage of IVF where one individual sperm is injected into an egg. ICSI is most often used in cases of male infertility.
PGD enables diagnosis of an embryo to see whether they have a particular genetic issue before implanting the embryo into a woman. This requires IVF and occurs three to five days after fertilization. People who are carriers of a genetic disorder should discuss whether PGD is an appropriate path for them.
Dr. Alexander K. Doo 杜堅能醫生 practiced in Hong Kong for over two decades. He was a member of various international reproductive organizations and the Vice President of the Asian Pacific Fertility Preservation Society. He had also been a Council Member of the Hong Kong Society for Reproductive Medicine for over ten years. He was Honorary Consultant at the Matilda International Hospital as well as the Director of The Women’s Clinic and Director of The IVF Clinic.
This article was independently written by Healthy Matters. It is informative only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be relied upon for specific medical advice.
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