Medical Questions » Infertility Questions » Question No. 541
| Question: | How is infertility treated? I have heard about IVF, but what are GIFTs and all the other funny terms? What do they do for infertile men? |
| Answer: | In the male, hormone supplements, storage and concentration of sperm (artificial insemination by husband—AIH), or fertilisation by donor sperm (artificial insemination by donor—AID) can be tried. In the woman, fertility drugs can be used to promote ovulation (eg. clomiphene), other drugs may be used to treat endometriosis, or antibiotics may be needed to treat infections. If there is an anatomical abnormality, it may be correctable by surgery.
As a last resort, a very small number of couples may be considered suitable for IVF (in-vitro fertilisation or ' test-tube babies' ), or GIFT (gamete intra-Fallopian transfer). GIFT involves giving ovulation-stimulating (egg-producing) hormones to an infertile woman, then harvesting an egg directly from her ovary using a laparoscope, and transferring this unfertilised egg along with sperm from her partner, directly into her Fallopian tube. This is done by using a very fine instrument that passes through her cervix and uterus to the internal opening of a Fallopian tube. If necessary the sperm or egg may be donated by another man or woman.
Most infertility treatment is carried out in private clinics and hospitals, and Medicare benefits for these procedures are restricted. Centres in every Australian capital and many major provincial centres now perform both IVF and GIFT. Australia is one of the leading countries in the world with this technology.
The treatment of infertility has progressed by leaps and bounds over the past few years, and the techniques used are at the leading edge of medical technology. New procedures are constantly being introduced and then discarded in favour of yet another improvement, so that it is difficult for even GPs to keep up. Gynaecologists who specialise in this area are the best source of information.
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