Infertility Flashcards
Infertility
Disease where after 12 months of regular unprotected sex people are unable to achieve a viable (able to carry to term) pregnancy
Main causes of female infertility
Age, fallopian tube disease (blockage), ovulation disorders, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian disease, fibroids (in the endometrium)
How does age cause female infertility
Later in life makes it harder to conceive, ova might not be viable anymore, biologically the best time is 18-25
How does fallopian tube disease (blockage) cause female infertility
Implantation can’t occur as the fertilised egg can’t reach the uterus, results in ectopic pregnancy- pregnancy outside the uterus, If not treated can cause a rupture and women can bleed to death, Blockage can be caused by scar tissue from STI’s or a previous ectopic pregnancy
How do ovulation disorders cause female infertility
No egg = no pregnancy
How does endometriosis cause female infertility
Excessive and inappropriate growth of the endometrium, Often need surgery to remove excessive growth, Most can fall pregnant
How can fibroids cause female infertility
Fibrous tissue growths in the uterus- take up a lot of room, If in the uterine tubes can cause blockage
Main causes of male infertility
Diseases of the Vas Deferens (blockage)- Doesn’t prevent the man from having a baby- sperm can be extracted from the epididymis directly via a needle, Low (or no) sperm production, High numbers of abnormally shaped sperm
IVF- Embryo transfer
In Vitro Fertilisation, available for over 25 years, * Females are treated with a large dose of FSH to produce several eggs, Eggs are collected by a laparoscope (less invasive) and placed in a petri dish with a males sperm, Fertilisation occurs forming a zygote which undergoes mitosis turning into a morula and then blastocysts which become early stage embryos, Up to 2 embryos are placed back into the uterus where a normal pregnancy can continue, Extra embryos are frozen for later use, Used if there is a fallopian blockage as GIFT and ZIFT can’t be used
GIFT
Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer, Females are treated with large doses of FSH to produce several eggs, Eggs are collected by a laparoscope, Semen is collected from the male, Gametes (2 eggs and many sperm) are then placed inside the fallopian tube where fertilisation should occur, Extra eggs and sperm can be frozen for later use
ZIFT
Zygote Intra-Fallopian Transfer, Females are treated with large doses of FSH to produce several eggs, Eggs are collected by laparoscope and placed in a petri dish, Semen is collected from the male, Eggs and sperm are mixed together in the petri dish, Fertilisation of the egg occurs, forming zygotes, Two zygotes are placed in the fallopian tubes (similar to IVF but put into fallopian tubes instead of uterus)
FET
Frozen Embryo Transfer, Inserting frozen embryos created by IVF into the uterus, Involves moral issues about frozen embryos that are no longer needed- can be donated or used for stem cells
