B3.2.5 - Using hormones to treat infertility

Question 1

Who was the first person in the world to be born by vitro fertilisation?

Answer 1

Louise Brown

Question 2

What are the steps for IVF?

Answer 2

• Fertility drugs are used to make lots of eggs mature at the same time for collection
• The eggs are collected and placed in a special solution in a Petri dish
• A sample of semen is collected and the sperm and eggs are mixed in the Petri dish
• The eggs are checked to make sure they have been fertilised and that the early embryos are developing properly
• When the fertilised eggs have formed tiny balls of cell, 1 or 2 of the tiny embryos are placed in the womb of the mother. If it goes well then at least one baby will grow and develop successfully

Question 3

Why can FSH be used as an artificial fertility drug?

Answer 3

When taken by a women it stimulates eggs to mature in her ovaries. It also triggers oestrogen production

Question 4

What is fertility treatment?

Answer 4

A technique used to increase a woman’s chance of getting pregnant

Question 5

What are the negatives about IVF?

Answer 5

• It is not a natural process
• It may result in no pregnancy
• It may result in multiple births
• It is very expensive and and only limited availability through NHS

Question 6

What are the positives of IVF?

Answer 6

• It allows parents to conceive who would otherwise not be able to have a baby
• It allows younger women to focus on their careers, and choose to have a baby later in life
• It enables older parents to have children

Question 7

What are causes of infertility?

Answer 7

• Blocked sermon ducts
• Blocked Fallopian tubes
• A lack of mature eggs produced in the ovaries
• A failure of the ovaries to release an egg
• Not enough sperm being produced in the testes