How can IVF help male factor infertility?
When the main problem or a contributing problem to a couple’s infertility is an irreversible male factor concern, IVF is often the answer.
When the main problem or a contributing problem to a couple’s infertility is an irreversible male factor concern, IVF is often the answer. In IVF, all we need is a very small number of normal sperm to help make a baby.
A technique called ICSI, which stands for Intra-cytoplasmic sperm microinjection, allows an IVF scientist to gentle inject a single sperm into each egg retrieved.
In order to find the best sperm, advanced IVF laboratories can use a technique known as IMSI, in which digital ultra high magnification techniques are used to look deep into the sperm and choose sperm using the most advanced and specific criteria.
New alternative sperm selection techniques are being developed using microfluidic devices such as the Zymot device. Older methods of selecting better sperm for ICSI include PICSI dish hyaluronic acid sperm binding techniques.
In order to ensure your best IVF outcomes, males should focus strongly on diet and lifestyle in the three months leading up to IVF treatment. Even if the main barrier to natural conception is male factor infertility, IVF outcomes are strongly affected by a woman’s age.
Seeking the right help sooner rather than later will mean female partners are less likely to need to go through multiple IVF treatments to be successful from the point of view of finding good quality eggs to fertilise with sperm in the lab.
Apart from IVF, do any other treatments effectively overcome male factor infertility?
For some milder male factor problems, IUI can help. IUI stands for intrauterine insemination. It is a technique suitable for men with milder cases of male factor infertility where no significant female infertility factors are suspected.
IUI can help overcome mild sperm problems by allowing a lab team to concentrate the sperm and prepare an optimised sample for injection high into a woman’s reproductive tract on the exact day that she ovulates (releases an egg).
IUI technique is suitable where a couple are unable to have sex (naturally) because of female vaginismus or problems relating to erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction. IUI technique can also assist some couples where a man is affected by retrograde ejaculation. If a man has a very low sperm count, very high numbers of abnormal or slow swimming sperm or if anti-sperm antibodies are a concern, IUI would not be recommended, as the chance of potential pregnancy success via this method would be too low.
Written by Dr Raelia Lew
RANZCOG Board Certified CREI Fertility specialist, Gynaecologist and the Director of Women’s Health Melbourne.
Co-host of the Knocked Up Podcast, Co-founder of Lovers intimate wellness solutions. Raelia has a PhD in Preconception Health Promotion and Genetic Screening. Raelia is a leading Australian expert in IVF and egg freezing, pioneering a bespoke model of care.