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Fertility issues chat with Dr Sarah Brewer
continued from page 3
Trying for a baby when sperm count is low
Q: My husband and I have been trying for a baby for four years now. We had tests and found out that my husband has a very low sperm count - he has a 20 per cent chance of having a child. We have sex regularly and I use no form of contraception but so far nothing has happened. We were told that a course of sperm donor treatments were our only option. I had 10 treatments, but still nothing has happened. My doctor said this could be because I have a very small cervix opening and maybe the sperm is not getting through. We have not got a lot of money so IVF is not an option for us, but is there another way to have a baby. honey1971
A: Do see your doctor to find out what options are available in your area. Don't give up hope however. It only takes one sperm, and a 20 per cent chance of success is worth going for. Another possibility is intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) which can be used when a male has only a few live sperm or where sperm quality is poor or lacking motility. During ICSI, a single sperm is injected directly into one of your eggs using an ultra-fine glass needle (pipette). The fertilised egg is then observed until it has undergone a certain number of divisions before being transferred back into your womb. The average live birth rate is 22 per cent per embryo transfer, but the success of ICSI depends on the skill and experience of its practitioners.
More information is available from the Infertility Network UK (formed from the merger of CHILD and ISSUE). You might also think about discussing adoption with your partner to see how you feel about that if you still have not conceived at some time in the future.
Back to main question page
Trying for a baby when sperm count is low
Q: My husband and I have been trying for a baby for four years now. We had tests and found out that my husband has a very low sperm count - he has a 20 per cent chance of having a child. We have sex regularly and I use no form of contraception but so far nothing has happened. We were told that a course of sperm donor treatments were our only option. I had 10 treatments, but still nothing has happened. My doctor said this could be because I have a very small cervix opening and maybe the sperm is not getting through. We have not got a lot of money so IVF is not an option for us, but is there another way to have a baby. honey1971
A: Do see your doctor to find out what options are available in your area. Don't give up hope however. It only takes one sperm, and a 20 per cent chance of success is worth going for. Another possibility is intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) which can be used when a male has only a few live sperm or where sperm quality is poor or lacking motility. During ICSI, a single sperm is injected directly into one of your eggs using an ultra-fine glass needle (pipette). The fertilised egg is then observed until it has undergone a certain number of divisions before being transferred back into your womb. The average live birth rate is 22 per cent per embryo transfer, but the success of ICSI depends on the skill and experience of its practitioners.
More information is available from the Infertility Network UK (formed from the merger of CHILD and ISSUE). You might also think about discussing adoption with your partner to see how you feel about that if you still have not conceived at some time in the future.
Back to main question page
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