Controlling Fertility

Question 1

How does clomifene therapy work?

Answer 1

Clomifene works by causing more FSH and LH to be released into the body, which stimulates egg maturation and ovulation.

Question 2

How does IVF work?

Answer 2

• IVF involves collecting eggs from the woman’s ovaries and fertilising them in a lab with the man’s sperm.
• These are grown into embryos.
• Once the embryos are tiny balls of cells, one or two of them are transferred to the woman’s uterus to improve the chance of pregnancy.
• FSH and LH are given before egg collection to stimulate egg production (so more than one egg can be collected).

Question 3

What is Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)?

Answer 3

• A fertility treatment that involves eggs being handled, and usually fertilised, outside of the body.
• IVF is an example of this.

Question 4

Which is more efficient in preventing pregnancies: hormonal or barrier contraceptives?

Answer 4

Hormonal contraceptives are more efficient in preventing pregnancies as they control the hormone levels inside the body.

Question 5

Which is more efficient in preventing STDs: hormonal or barrier contraceptives?

Answer 5

Barrier contraceptives are more efficient in preventing STDs as they act as a physical barrier, and hormonal barriers would not prevent this.