Many Austrian women struggle with infertility. If they are unable to conceive naturally, they opt for artificial insemination. This is a treatment method used in reproductive medicine. It encompasses several procedures designed to help them fulfill their desire to have children.
What are the different methods of artificial insemination?
Before women decide on a course of treatment, they should learn about the common methods available. Gynecologists and counseling centers, for example, share their experiences with insemination or egg donation. In summary, the following options are available to help women fulfill their desire to have children:
- Homologous insemination,
- Heterologous insemination,
- IVF (in vitro fertilization),
- GIFT (intratubal gamete transfer),
- IVM (in vitro maturation),
- ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection).
The procedures women choose depend on several factors. The cause of their inability to conceive plays a major role. Several of these treatments are used to address female infertility. In addition, some methods are effective when the partner is infertile.
Artificial Insemination
Insemination, as a form of artificial insemination, is an option when a man produces few sperm or sperm with insufficient motility. With this method of sperm transfer, patients benefit from a high probability of success. The artificially introduced sperm reach the egg more quickly than they would during sexual intercourse. The treatment takes place inside the woman’s body. It is divided into three possible procedures.
In intracervical insemination (ICI), the physician injects the sperm into the cervix. If the physician inserts a prepared sperm cell directly into the uterus, the procedure is called intrauterine insemination (IUI). It is also possible to insert the sperm into the fallopian tube. This is known as intratubal insemination, or ITI. Additionally, there is a distinction between homologous and heterologous treatment methods.
Artificial insemination is considered homologous if the sperm comes from the patient’s own partner. Accordingly, the embryo develops as the parents’ biological child. Treatment is successful in five to ten percent of cases. In heterologous insemination, the sperm comes from a third-party donor. Patients choose this option when the man’s fertility is insufficient. In this case, the child shares a biological relationship only with the mother.
Egg Donation as a Form of Artificial Insemination: What Are the Chances of Success?
In vitro fertilization is considered the standard method for treating infertility. The term literally means “fertilization in a test tube.” Accordingly, the procedure takes place outside the body. The doctor then implants the fertilized egg into the uterus. During this procedure, the doctor retrieves several eggs from the patient through the vagina. This is done under ultrasound guidance. The eggs are then fertilized using the partner’s sperm or that of another man.
In in vitro fertilization, the process occurs naturally. Two days after the procedure, the doctor implants the fertilized egg into the woman's uterus.
Egg Donation: Experiences with the Treatment Method
Before this type of artificial insemination takes place, patients undergo hormone therapy. This is done to accelerate the maturation of multiple eggs. The procedure is primarily an option for women with blocked fallopian tubes. The success rate—the “baby-take-home rate”—is 18 percent.
Conceiving a Child Using the ICSI Method
Since 1994, couples have been able to opt for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. This procedure is also known as microinjection. It is suitable for patients who are unable to conceive naturally or through laboratory-assisted methods. This situation occurs when the partner’s semen contains immobile sperm or a low sperm count.
Unlike in vitro fertilization, fertilization of a retrieved egg does not occur spontaneously. Instead, the doctor uses a micropipette to inject each sperm cell individually. On average, 20 percent of treatment cases result in a live birth. The chances of success depend heavily on the woman’s age.
Egg Donation in IVM Treatment
The abbreviation IVM stands for in vitro maturation. This procedure complements artificial insemination using donated eggs. In this process, the doctor retrieves immature eggs from the ovaries. In a test tube, they mature through the addition of the hormones FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and HCG. This method is suitable for patients who cannot tolerate hormone treatment.
