Control of Fertility

Question 1

What are fertility treatments based on?

Answer 1

The biology of fertility

Question 2

What type of fertility do females show.

Answer 2

Cyclical

Question 3

What type of fertility do men show?

Answer 3

Men are continuusly fertile

Question 4

How is the females fertile period identified?

Answer 4

A woman’s body temperature rises by around 0·5°C after ovulation and her cervical mucus becomes thin and watery

Question 5

What are the treatments for infertility?

Answer 5

1. Stimulating ovulation. Ovulation is stimulated by drugs that prevent the negative feedback effect of oestrogen on FSH secretion.
2. Other ovulatory drugs mimic the action of FSH and LH. These drugs can cause super ovulation that can result in multiple births or be used to collect ova for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) programme.
3. Artificial insemination. Several samples of semen are collected over a period of time.
4. Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

Question 6

When would the treatment of infertility be artificial insemination?

Answer 6

1. Artificial insemination is particularly useful where the male has a low sperm count.
2. If a partner is sterile a donor may be used to provide semen.

Question 7

Give the stages of IVF ?

Answer 7

In vitro fertilisation (IVF)

1. Surgical removal of eggs from ovaries after hormone stimulation.
2. Eggs are mixed with sperm in a culture dish.
3. The fertilised eggs are incubated until they have formed at least eight cells and are then transferred to the uterus for implantation.
4. Incubation of zygotes and uterine implantation.

Question 8

When would ICSI be used

Answer 8

Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

If mature sperm are defective or very low in number, ICSI can be used. The head of the sperm is drawn into a needle and injected directly into the egg to achieve fertilisation.

Question 9

Discuss the action of the oral contraceptive pill.

Answer 9

• The oral contraceptive pill is a chemical method of contraception.
• It contains a combination of synthetic oestrogen and progesterone that mimics negative feedback preventing the release of FSH and LH from the pituitary gland.

Question 10

Discuss th mini pill

Answer 10

The progesterone-only (mini) pill causes thickening of the cervical mucus.

Question 11

Discusss the morning after pill

Answer 11

The morning-after pill prevents ovulation or implantation

Question 12

Answer 12

C - 29th May

Question 13

Answer 13

B