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 The number of couples seeking infertility treatment services has increased over the last several years. Undoubtedly, a large part of this increase is due to increased public awareness. Approximately 10% of all couples of reproductive age will experience infertility at some time during their reproductive lives.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) defines infertility as the inability to conceive after one year of regular intercourse. In older women, the time is shortened to six months.
Age is perhaps the greatest enemy to female fertility. There is a strong and direct correlation between advancing female age and the incidence of infertility. We also now know that almost half of all infertile couples
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There have been incredible advances in IVF therapy since the first days of the "test tube baby". Initially, IVF was considered an "experimental" procedure by the American Medical Association. Over the years, IVF has enable thousands of otherwise infertile couples to build families.
No where is this more true than in the treatment of moderate to severe male factor infertility. Before IVF, the only option for these couples was to use a sperm donor. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which is performed during an IVF procedure, enables men with little or no sperm in their ejaculate to father children. Using ICSI, one sperm is injected directly into an egg using sophisticated micromanipulation tools.
The term "in vitro" translates to "outside of the body" which is where fertilization occurs.
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