Assisted conception treatments
Chess
by Chess Thomas | animated_fact_check Medically reviewed by Thanos Papathanasiou, Fertility specialist and gynaecologist
Couple sitting with doctor.
Thinkstock
In this article
What are assisted conception treatments?
What assisted conception treatment options are there?
What are the risks of assisted conception treatments?
What do I need to do next?
If you’ve spent a long time trying for a baby but haven’t yet been successful, it may be time to consider assisted conception treatments.
If one or both of you has a fertility problem, assisted conception techniques may offer you the chance of having a much-wanted child. As success rates continue to improve, more and more couples are choosing to take this route.
What are assisted conception treatments?
Assisted conception means using a medical intervention to help you conceive. The type of treatment you receive will depend on what’s causing the problem, and how much help you and your partner need.
The success rates of fertility treatment continue to improve as the years go on. The younger you are, the greater your chance of conceiving, although success rates have improved for all ages.
Around one in four in-vitro fertilisation treatment cycles now results in a baby being born. For women under 35, that figure rises to one in three.
What assisted conception treatment options are there?
Assisted conception treatments include:
Intrauterine insemination (IUI). Sperm cells are inserted directly into your womb (uterus) at the time of ovulation.
In vitro fertilisation (IVF). Eggs are gathered from your ovaries and combined with your partner’s sperm in a laboratory dish. The resulting embryos are transplanted into your womb.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A single sperm is injected straight into a single egg in the laboratory and the resulting embryo is transplanted into your womb.
Donated sperm. If your partner has a low sperm count, or produces no sperm at all or if you are a same sex female couple, donor sperm may be used for donor insemination or IVF.
Donated eggs or embryos. If you’re unable to conceive using your own eggs, eggs donated by another woman can be combined with your partner’s sperm. The resulting embryo is then implanted in your womb. A donated embryo can be used in the same way.
Surrogacy. Another woman carries your baby, or a baby from a donor embryo, to term. She then entrusts the baby’s care to you after the birth.
What are the risks of assisted conception treatments?
These treatments can be invasive and expensive, but there is little evidence to suggest that there are any long-term health problems for women who opt for assisted conception, or the babies born from the treatments.
Fertility drugs are always used at the lowest dose for the shortest time possible to reduce side effects and potential risks.
Some assisted conception techniques create a slightly higher risk of your baby being born with a problem, although this isn’t common. Your doctor will go through the individual risks associated with your form of assisted conception, before you start any treatment.
There is evidence to suggest links between assisted conception treatments and a greater risk of complications in pregnancy, labour, or birth. This may be partly due to the fact that women having treatments tend to be older, and that fertility treatments may be more likely to result in multiple pregnancies.
The older you are, the more likely you are to need fertility treatment and also to experience complications, such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and you may require a caesarean.
While twins or triplets may sound like an ideal way to kick-start your family, there are risks associated with multiple pregnancies. However, your clinic will follow strict guidelines to try to reduce the risk of you having more than one baby.
Because of these risks, your doctor will want you to have tried to conceive naturally for at least a year before starting assisted conception treatments. But if you are aged 35 or older, you can see your GP after six months of trying for a baby. It’s also worth examining your lifestyle to see if you need to make changes such as stopping smoking and losing weight.
What do I need to do next?
If you’re considering fertility treatment, the British Infertility Counselling Association offers advice and contact details for counsellors. Or you can ask your GP for advice.
It can be a very lengthy and emotionally intense journey. Talking through your options may help you to deal with the many feelings and decisions you will face along the way. Talk to others about assisted conception treatments in our community or find out how to get a fertility test.
Show references
Chess Thomas
Chess Thomas
Chess Thomas is BabyCentre's research editor and a qualified antenatal teacher.
other ways to get pregnant besides ivf?
