Infertility Flashcards
List some factors that are increasing the demand for assisted conception therapy (ACT)
Increasing parental age
Increasing chlamydia
Male factor infertility
Improved success rates of ACT
List the main indications for ACT
Male factors
Unexplained infertility
Endometriosis
Tubal disease
Ovulatory disorder
Single parents/same sex couples
At what age does fertility start to decrease?
27
Significantly so at 37
What should females limit their alcohol limit to per week to improve fertility?
4 units a week
What is the optimal weight for males + females to improve fertility?
BMI 19-29
What medical interventions should be assessed before ACT to improve fertility?
Folic acid
Check rubella immunity
Cervical smear
Blood-borne viruses screen
Which drug class in particular can cause male infertility/azoospermia?
Steroids (if abused)
How long should a female wait before trying to conceive after being vaccinated against rubella?
3 months
List all the assisted conception treatments available
Donor insemination
Intra-uterine insemination (IUI)
In vitro fertilisation (IVF)
Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
Surrogacy
What does intra-uterine insemination involve?
Sperm are injected into the uterine cavity around the time of ovulation
What does in vitro fertilisation involve?
Sperm and egg fertilise outside body and implanted into uterus
How is the normal menstrual cycle down-regulated in preparation for IVF?
Synthetic GnRH agonist administered as spray/injection
How is the ovary stimulated to cause follicular development?
Synthetic GH injection
What are the risks to GH injection?
Allergy
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
How long must a male be abstinent before providing a sperm sample?
72 hours
What does intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection involve?
Injecting sperm into egg outside the body (i.e. no fertilisation)
What determines our gender?
Chromosomes (XY or XX)
Sex hormones secreted
External + internal genitalia
Psychological factor