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Probably the biggest advance in assisted fertility treatment since In Vitro fertilization, Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection involves injecting a single healthy sperm into the centre of an egg, called the cytoplasm. It was introduced in 1992 and this revolutionary treatment for male infertility has proved very successful. Before this treatment is commenced, the male sperm is analyzed under a microscope by a specialist called an embryologist who will assess whether the Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure will benefit both partner's chances of conceiving. This procedure is based solely around the male who may have problems with a low sperm count, poor sperm movement or those that have abnormally shaped sperm. It might also be favored because previous In Vitro fertilization has failed or the man has abnormal levels of sperm anti-bodies found in the semen. These are the most common reasons why Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection treatment is used although there are others. The female partner will be required to use fertility drugs which will help stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs that are then collected on a specific day. Once these have fertilized with the male partner's sperm they are placed back into the womb the same way as in an In Vitro Fertilization procedure. Suitable embryos that are left over after this has been carried out can then be frozen should additional treatments be necessary. After the treatment, the clinic will arrange a future date for a pregnancy test. The day the woman's eggs are collected, the male partner must produce a fresh sample of sperm. The sperm are then injected into the eggs to fertilize them before they are placed back in the womb. Despite being introduced in 1992, Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection is considered to be a new procedure and there are concerns that injecting the sperm into the egg directly could lead to birth defects. Contrary to this belief, there is no evidence that this is the case and an ongoing UK study has shown that studies of five year olds conceived through Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection or In Vitro Fertilization are just as healthy as those conceived naturally. Another concern is that infertile men could pass on their infertility to their sons born through ICSI through their genes but there as been no definitive answer to this yet. The use of ICSI has helped many thousands of couples have a child where the man has a low sperm count or other sperm related problems. Despite this, it is in the best interests of any child conceived this way if the male partner has a blood test to ensure that any sperm related problems are not passed down through the genes. The greatest benefit of Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection treatment is that the sperm are not required to swim to and penetrate the egg, which boosts the chances of conception enormously. However, the skill of the clinic is also important if Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection is to be successful so is the age of the woman, but rates around the world continue to increase as the treatment improves and becomes more widespread. Fortunately, age is not of such great concern for men as the sperm used is always freshly produced and only the healthiest used, however, sperm production does decrease as the man gets older.
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