What is Assisted

Reproduction Technology?
Jessica Guerrero

What is ART?
Group

of high tech treatment methods

to improve infertility.
Techniques include

In Vitro Fertilization
Artificial Insemination
Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer
And many more

History of ART
1978-

first successful
birth using In Vitro
Fertilization
1984- first successful
birth using Gamete
Intra Fallopian
Transfer
1986-first successful
birth using Zygote
Intra Fallopian
Transfer

What is Infertility?
Inability

to conceive a baby after one

year of unprotected intercourse.
Affects the reproductive organs of both
men and women.
Infertility affects about 15% of couples
in the United States.

Factors Affecting Conception

Production of healthy
sperm
Healthy eggs by the
woman
Unblocked fallopian
tubes
The ability for the sperm
to fertilize the egg
The ability for the
embryo to implant in the
uterus

Causes of Infertility in
Women
The

older a woman is
the higher her
chances of becoming
infertile.
Ovulation disorder
Blocked fallopian
tubes caused by a
pelvic inflammatory
disease or
endometriosis (a
condition that causes
adhesions and cysts).

Causes of Infertility in Men

Azoospermia-lack of
sperm production
Inability to ejaculate
normally
Varicocele- veins in the
scrotum are enlarged
which can heat the
inside of the scrotum
and can affect sperm
production.
Teratospermiaincreased percentage of
abnormal shapes

Statistics
Infertility

affects more than 15% of the

couples in the United States.
About one-third of infertility cases are
caused by male factors.
In about 20% of infertile couples the cause
is unknown.
The remaining one-third of infertile cases is
caused by a combination of factors in both
partners.
The chances of becoming pregnant
decreases 3-5% per year after the age of 30.

Most Common Choices of

Treatment
In

Vitro Fertilization
Artificial
Insemination
Frozen Embryos
Gamete Intra
Fallopian Transfer
Zygote Intra
Fallopian Transfer

Artificial Insemination
Sperm

is collected
and placed into a
womans vagina,
cervical canal or in
the uterus.
Sperm can come
from your partner or
an anonymous
donor.

In-Vitro Fertilization
A

womans eggs are

removed from the
ovary and mixed
with sperm in a
laboratory. Then
once fertilized, the
embryos are placed
into the womans
uterus.

Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer

(GIFT)
A

mixture of a
womans eggs and
sperm are placed
into the fallopian
tube during a
laparoscopy.
Once inserted,
fertilization is
allowed to occur.

Zygote Intra-Fallopian Transfer

(ZIFT)
Mixture

of In Vitro
Fertilization and
Gamete Intra
Fallopian Transfer.
Fertilization takes
place outside the
uterus and placed
into the fallopian
tubes.

Intra-Cytoplasmic
Sperm Injection
Sperm

is injected
directly into the
eggs in a laboratory.
Used if infertility
originates from the
male such as:
Low numbers of
sperm
Severe
Teratospermia

Frozen Embryos
Embryos

may be
taken from an
individual and stored
for later use.
Once ready to use,
they can be thawed
and then placed into
the uterus.
This allows a higher
chance of pregnancy.

Selecting an ART Program

Qualifications

and
experience of the
clinic and its
personnel.
Support services
available
Cost
Success rates of that
specific program

How Does this Affect Me?

Knowing your body, as well

as taking care of your body
increases your chances of
becoming pregnant.
If you are considering having
children in the future, the
best thing to do is practice
safe sex, take care of your
body and stay away from
harmful contaminants such
as smoking and other types
of drugs.
Fertility affects us all, male
or female and attending the
doctor regularly can increase
your chances of becoming
pregnant in the future.

Works Cited

Age and Female Fertility.2006. American Fertility Association. 8 March 2006.

http://theafa.org/faqs/afa_ageandfemaleinfertility.html
Assisted Reproductive Techonologies. Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology.
2005. 8 March 2006. <http://www.sart.org>
Assisted Reproductive Technologies: A guide for Patients. United States Department of
Health & Human Services. 2003. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. 8 March
2006. http://asrm.org/Patients/patientechnologybooklets/Art.pdf
Embryo Freezing. IVF-Infertility.com. 15 October 2005. 8 March 2006.
http://www.ivf-infertility.com/ivf/frozen.php
Insemination. 1 March 2005, Home ed., InfoTrac. College of the Sequoias Library, Visalia,
CA. 1 March 1999.
The Reproductive System. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, c2004
Male Infertility. Familydoctor.org. 3 March 2005. American Academy of Family
Physicians. 8 March 2006. http://familydoctor.org/766.xml
Understanding Fertility and Infertility: The Sourcebook for Reproductive Problems,
Treatments and Issues. New York: CheckmarkBooks.c2003
What is Infertility? Frequently Asked Questions About Infertility. 2006. American Society
for Reproductive Medicine. 8 March 2006.http://www.asrm.org/Patients/faqs.html#Q1:
Wisot, Arthur L et. Al. Conceptions & Misconceptions: The Informed Consumers Guide
through the Maze of In Vitro Fertilization and other Assisted Reproduction Techniques.
Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer. Pregnancyinfo.net. 2005. 8 March 2006.
http://www.pregnancy-info.net/infertility_medical_options_zift.html