Fertility treatment questions...?

Question

what techniques are used to control / increase / decrease female fertility?

how does fertility treatment affect ovulation patterns?

what are the negative side affects of treatment?

what role does the technician play in fertility treatment - how are healthy sprem identified? how are sperm cells stored? how are sperm counts carried out? how are hormone levels monitored? how does a pregnancy test work?

Lots of questions i know, hope you can help me. Any help will be much appreciated! Thanks

Answer 1

1 - Dont think you are looking in the right place for these answers, try and look on a medical website......type in the question in ur search engine and it will bring up a website that will relate to ur questions.

2- Speak to ur doctor. They know everything, thats there job!

:o)

Answer 2

lots of questions,and one answer tht make a visit to good infertility clinic where  doctrs brief u everythng.there r many treatmnts,whch one is fr u only doctrs can suggest,aftr watching all ur reports.

Answer 3

Q:  what techniques are used to control / increase / decrease female fertility?

A:  Decreasing fertility is acheived through use of drugs such as the pill, the depo shot etc, all of which prohibit the production of hormones such as Estrogen and FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) which lead to ovulation.  If no egg is released, no pregnancy can occur.

To increase female fertility, the opposite is employed - drugs such as Clomid stimulate ovulation by causing the body to produce more Estrogen, and Progesterone supplements can support implantation after ovulation has taken place.

Q: how does fertility treatment affect ovulation patterns?

A:  See above.  Drugs can be administered which can stimulate the ovaries to release eggs if a woman is not ovulating naturally - usually due to hormonal imbalances.  During IVF ltreatment, larger doses of different hormones are used to cause "super" ovulation, or the maturation of several eggs within the ovary.  These eggs are then "harvested" and mixed with the male partner's sperm and left to fertilise.  and resultant embryos are then transferred to the woman's uterus.  Progesterone supplements might be used to help support the implantation process.

Q: what are the negative side affects of treatment?

A:  side effects from drugs used to induce ovulation can include hot flashes, bloating, mood swings, nausea, vomiting, sore b*****s, headaches etc and the more serious risk of Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome, which is potentially life threatening (although it is rare as long as the patient is being properly monitored throughout her treatment).  There is also a small risk of multiple pregnancy - ie twins, triplets etc if several eggs are released or several embryos are implanted.  

Treatment is also prohibitively expensive for many couples.

Q:  what role does the technician play in fertility treatment - how are healthy sprem identified? how are sperm cells stored? how are sperm counts carried out? how are hormone levels monitored? how does a pregnancy test work?

A:   The first few are complicated questions which would be best asked at a fertility clinic.   A "normal" sperm count is one which has at least 20 million sperm cells per millilitre of ejaculate.  The technician also looks for the way the sperm are swimming, how many live or active sperm there are, how they are formed (ie irregularities like two heads or tails = "unhealthy" sperm).  Sperm Analysis tests are graded on concentration (how many sperm there are), motility (how they are moving), morphology (how they are formed) etc.

Hormone levels are generally monitored through blood tests which measure the levels of hormones in the blood.  A Home Pregnancy Test measures the amount of HCG hormone in the Urine (HCG  - or Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin - is produced from the earliest stages of pregnancy in a woman's body and is secreted in small amounts in the woman's urine).  Blood tests can detect HCG at a much earlier and more accurate level than Urine tests.

Answer 4

Well first of all I think you need to talk with a professional or visit a medical website.  But I will try to help.  My hubby and I are seeing a fertility specialist and are undergoing treatments.

Testing- Women are tested through bloodtests at different stages in her cycle, ultrasounds, and a test called an HSG (x-ray where dye is inserted into her cervix to check for uterine shape/size and tubal blockages).

Monitoring-  Women are monitored while on fertility treatments through bloodtests and ultrasounds.  The hormone levels are checked and the ovary function should be monitored closely.

Sperm Testing-  The man provides a s***n sample through masterbation either at the office or sometimes it can be done at home and brought into the office.  It is tested for things like mobility, motility, quantity, quality, abnormalities, pH level, etc.  This is usually first thing when seeking help with conceiving.  Healthy sperm are considered sperm that are uniform in shape, size and movement.  They look for things like irregular "tails".

Pregnancy test-  It detects the level of HCG in the blood or urine depending on the kind of test.  The urine test is set up to only turn positive if a certain level of HCG is found in the urine.  Usually a woman can test around the time her period is due to get an accurate result.  The egg will become fertilized, travel down and implant in the uterus before this hormone is produced.  This can take 6-12 days so about the time of a missed period.

Technicians/doctors/nurses-  They play a huge role in a couple's fertility treatment.  You see them up close and personal about 3-6 times a month depending on your treatments.  They are helping you try to achieve a very private and personal thing and they will know just as much or more than you do about your body.  They are very educated to answer all questions as well.

Ovulation Patterns-  Ovulation patterns are most likely the number 1 problem couples have with trying to conceive.  Most of the treatments and medications deal with this.  They directly affect the ovaries and stimulate egg production and release.  They all work in various ways.  Some medications used to stimulate the ovaries to produce mature eggs are in pill form such as Clomid and some are injections that the woman will receive such as Gonal-F.  There are also injections called HCG trigger shots that help to finish maturing the eggs and cause them to release so they can be fertilized.

Side Effects-  There are many side effects as their are many types of treatments.  Most are mood swings, cramping, hot flashes, trouble sleeping, breast tenderness, bloating, over stimulation of the ovaries (which can be fatal in extreme cases), etc.

I recommend the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" to help answer more questions.  Also visit the website www.fertilitylifelines.com to learn more.  You can even call their toll free number to speak with someone to get a lot more information.

Hope this helps some!!