Fertility tests and treatment

• Semen analysis to look at the number, shape and size of sperm, as well as the way they move.
• Blood or urine tests to check hormone levels.
• Testing the sperm in special solutions.
• Special X-rays/scans to find blockages or check the blood supply to the testes.

Assisted conception techniques include:

• In-vitro fertilization (IVF) – the most well-known treatment. Eggs are removed from the woman, fertilised in the laboratory and the embryo is then placed in her womb. 80% of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment is carried out privately. Your GP, practice nurse or local Community Health Council (CHC) will tell you if you qualify for treatment on the NHS. You can also visit The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority website for more information.
• Donor insemination (DI) Egg donation may be an option if a woman is not producing eggs or has a genetic problem. If a man produces no or few normal sperm or has an inherited disease, insemination using sperm from an anonymous donor may be an option.
• Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer (GIFT) – a couple’s own eggs and sperm, or that of donors, are mixed together and placed in the woman’s fallopian tubes where they fertilise.
• Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) – a single sperm is injected into the woman’s egg, which is then transferred to the womb after fertilization.

If treatments don’t work and you feel you cannot give any more time and energy to trying to have a child, ISSUE can help you through this difficult process.

For more information about IVF see related articles:
IVF - what you need to know.
Infertility treatments in the future.
Fertility at forty, or even thirty.
The cost of IVF

Or visit: The Family Planning Association website or ring their helpline on 0845 3101334

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