Planning of pregnancy by couples has been delayed due to reasons including career, financial status, health condition, etc. The chance of conceiving is less as you get old. This is because fertility rates decrease as you age. Recent medical advancements have made it possible for couples to conceive even at an older age. Fertility preservation techniques are one such medical advancement that helps you give birth to a healthy baby even after delaying your pregnancy. Both males and females can undergo fertility preservation treatment if you are planning for a late pregnancy. Here is a detailed outlook on fertility preservation techniques.
Fertility preservation has become popular in recent years. It is a technique where eggs and sperm are collected and saved. The stored eggs and sperm are later used for conception. Reproductive tissues are also stored using the same process, making it possible to have a child in the future.
The main reason people make use of fertility preservation techniques is to deliver a healthy baby even when they delay their pregnancy until their late 30s and 40s. Here’s who can go for Fertility Preservation:
● Men or women who were asked to delay their pregnancy due to their serious health conditions can opt for fertility preservation.
● Couples who wish to delay their parenthood for some personal or professional reasons can also go for fertility preservation.
● People who are suffering from certain medical conditions like cancer or who have just undergone surgery are forced to delay their pregnancy.
● People with autoimmune diseases and reproductive issues can find it difficult to conceive. So they preserve their eggs or sperm before they start with their medical treatment.
● Men or women delay their marriage to find the right partner to go for fertility preservation.
The following are the ways to preserve fertility:
Women can opt for the following based on their preferences and medical conditions.
● Egg Freezing: In this technique, the eggs from females are collected from the ovary and frozen for future use. Usually, women are treated with ovarian stimulating drugs to stimulate the production of eggs before this procedure.
● Embryo Freezing: Here, the egg from the female and sperm from the male or donated sperm are collected and allowed for fertilisation, resulting in embryos. These embryos are stored for future use. This process is also called embryo cryopreservation.
● Ovarian tissue freezing: Women with serious health conditions may not have sufficient time to undergo hormone treatment for stimulating eggs and can opt for ovarian tissue freezing. This procedure involves extracting and freezing the ovarian tissue. The thawed ovarian tissue is implanted again when the woman recovers from her health condition.
● Ovarian Transposition: If you're about to go for radiation therapy, then you can protect your ovaries using this procedure. During this procedure, the surgeon shifts the ovaries from your pelvis area so that the radiation does not affect your ovaries.
● Radiation Shielding: Limiting the radiation level can prevent damage to ovaries during radiation therapy.
There are specific techniques for fertility preservation in men.
● Sperm Freezing: In this procedure, a semen sample is collected and stored for future use.
● Testicular tissue freezing: The testicular tissue is extracted from the male, and the sperm in it is frozen for the future. This is done when there is no sperm in the semen for various reasons.
Children can also undergo fertility preservation for reasons like childhood cancer. This can impact their fertility in the future. So sperm, egg, ovarian and testicular tissue are collected and stored in children after puberty.
You must be aware of the procedure when you go for fertility preservation.
Egg Freezing: You will be treated with ovarian stimulating drugs for about ten days. Now a needle is inserted through your vagina, and it reaches the ovary. The eggs are extracted from the ovary, collected and frozen for future use. This procedure is carried out under anesthesia.
Ovarian tissue freezing: This is a minor laparoscopic procedure in which a thin scope is inserted into your abdomen via small incisions. A special instrument collects the ovarian tissue, which is then stored.
Sperm freezing: In this procedure, you will be asked to ejaculate semen through masturbation. The semen must be collected in a cup. If you're unable to ejaculate, your provider may go for medications, vibratory stimulation and electroejaculation.
Testicular Tissue Freezing: The testicular tissue is extracted using a needle. The collected sample is frozen for future use.
There are certain risks involved during the fertility preservation procedure.
● There is a chance of bleeding or infection when the eggs and sperm are collected.
● There are increased chances of multiple births, premature births, miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy when fertilisation occurs with preserved eggs and sperm.
● Ovarian stimulation drugs increase estrogen levels. This may result in blood clots, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and even cancer.
● Ovarian transposition can lead to relocated ovaries.
There is no 100 per cent guarantee of conceiving a baby with fertility preservation procedures. The success rate of conception with frozen eggs and sperm is higher than other fertility preservation techniques. The egg and sperm freezing costs are considerably lower than other fertility preservation techniques. Thus, egg and sperm freezing have become quite popular in recent years. The effectiveness of other fertility preservation techniques like testicular tissue freezing and ovarian tissue freezing are unclear as they are not widely used.
The success rate also depends on age, current health condition, weight, past treatment, and past pregnancies.
You must go for fertility preservation at the earliest for favourable results. Make sure you discuss with your doctor about your past medical conditions before you go for fertility preservation.
The different methods of fertility preservation are egg freezing, embryo freezing, sperm freezing, ovarian tissue freezing and testicular tissue freezing
Before banking sperm, your provider will ask you to masturbate so that you can collect the semen in a container. The cup with the semen is frozen. Doctors recommend certain medications when you're unable to ejaculate on your own. A vibratory stimulation or electroejaculation can trigger ejaculation.
