Infertility Treatment & Negative Feedback [Higher Tier]

Treating infertility

• A fertility drug containing FSH and LH can be given to a woman who does not produce enough FSH: the FSH matures eggs and the LH releases them, so she may become pregnant in the normal way
• In vitro fertilisation (IVF):
  • The mother is given FSH and LH to stimulate the maturation of several eggs
  • The eggs are collected from the mother and fertilised by sperm from the father in the laboratory
  • The fertilised eggs develop into embryos
  • When they are tiny balls of cells, one or two embryos are inserted into the mother's uterus
• IVF gives a woman the chance of a baby of her own, but:
  • It is very emotionally and physically stressful
  • Success rates are not high (often below 30% per cycle)
  • It can lead to multiple births, a risk to the babies and the mother
  • It is expensive, and some people object on ethical grounds to unused embryos being destroyed