Infertility Treatment Options, Costs, And Results

If you and partner have been trying over a year to conceive, and you are over 35, than you may want to look into infertility treatments to help you conceive. Before you can begin to decide which infertility treatment is best for you and your partner, the cause of the infertility needs to be determined. Once the cause of infertility is determined, than you can begin to look into infertility treatments that may work for you and your partner. While these treatments do help some couples to conceive, they are very expensive and some of these treatments do not result in pregnancies for a lot of people who repeatedly try them. Educate yourself about the type of infertility treatments available, the cost of these treatments, and the results you can expect from these treatments in order to make the right infertility treatment decision for you and your partner. The most common types of infertility treatments include: intra uterine insemination, in vitro fertilization, intra cytoplasmic sperm injections, and intra cervical insemination.

Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI)

Intra uterine insemination, or artificial insemination, is a procedure that is used by couples that have unexplained fertility problems, or in instances where the male partner does not have a high sperm count or his sperm does not have good motility. This treatment is less expensive than most infertility treatments, and does not require a large time commitment. Intra uterine insemination usually costs between 300-700 dollars a cycle. Most couples go through 3-6 cycles before they become pregnant or try another treatment, and they have a 5-20% chance of getting pregnant during each cycle.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

In vitro fertilization is the most popularly used form of fertility treatments. This treatment is used in instances where women have troubles ovulating, have blocked fallopian tubes, or when the male partner has a low sperm count. During this treatment, mature eggs are collected by inserting a needle through the vaginal wall. The eggs are then combined with the sperm in a laboratory dish, and any embryos that result will be directly inserted into the uterus. The cost of one treatment of IVF is approximately $12,400, and couples generally have a 28% chance of obtaining a baby through this treatment.

Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injections (ICSI)

This type of treatment is the preferred treatment for instances of infertility that are caused by male fertility problems. This treatment differs from IUI in that the eggs are removed from the woman’s ovaries, usually through inserting a needle into the vaginal wall, and the sperm is collected either from ejaculation or directly from the testicular tissue. The sperm are directly injected into the egg, and the fertilized embryos are placed in the uterus. The cost of one ICSI treatment is 10,000 to 17,000 dollars. Most couples have a 28% chance of having a baby through one ICSI treatment.

Intra Cervical Insemination (ICI)

Intra cervical insemination is another form of artificial insemination. Like intra uterine insemination, the woman is given follicle stimulating hormones to promote the release of healthy mature eggs. The male’s sperm is then collected and washed to isolate the most healthiest and mobile sperm; these sperm are then injected inside the woman’s cervix. ICI is usually a little less expensive than IUI, (nearer $300), but couples generally have a reduced change, about 15% at the highest, of conceiving during each cycle.