Building The Modern Family With ART
A lot has changed in modern times concerning fertility and the desire to start a family. Statistics show that infertility, the inability to get pregnant naturally, has increased to 12%-15% in American couples. Environmental and health dangers not present a few decades ago now impact reproductive health. Individual women and same-sex couples also want to start families, creating a new family dynamic. These parties all share the need for assistance in having a healthy baby. With assisted reproductive technology (ART), this is achievable. ART combines science and medicine to create modern miracles, a baby that would have been impossible to conceive.
What is ART?
Assisted reproductive technology is a series of strategies, treatments, and techniques to help individuals or couples achieve pregnancy. People who consider ART have trouble conceiving due to infertility or other challenges. ART treatments are chosen based on the needs of the individual or couple. The goal is to work around the conditions or constraints of natural conception. Statistics show that 2.3% of babies are born using ART. The use of ART has doubled in recent years as people are becoming more knowledgeable about the benefits of fertility treatments.
An umbrella of solutions
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are the more common forms of ART. With IUI, a doctor medically applies a prepared sperm sample into a woman’s cervix, coinciding with ovulation. IVF is much more complex, with multiple eggs harvested from a woman’s ovaries. The eggs are then combined with sperm to create multiple healthy embryos. One or more embryos are then surgically implanted into the woman’s uterus, with other embryos frozen for future cycles. Another form of IVF includes intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which uses a single sperm injection to create embryos. Strategies like cryopreservation, egg and sperm donation, and gestational surrogacy all fall under the ART umbrella.
What to expect with ART
ART is a detailed, comprehensive process that cannot be started without help from a fertility clinic or reproductive specialist. Both doctor and patient will discuss long-term goals, possible options, costs, and outcomes. If IVF is recommended, several steps are taken to increase success rates. The patient or couple would require hormone medication through a specialty pharmacist. Injectable hormone medication stimulates the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. Regular blood tests monitor the progress of the hormones. The next steps consist of sperm collection and egg retrieval, embryo creation, embryo selection, and transfer. The patient is then monitored for pregnancy. Additional steps are sometimes necessary to improve success rates.
A smoother journey with support
Fertility treatment requires prescription medication and precise adherence for the best outcomes. Factors like insurance, administrative costs, and consultation with pharmacists play a role in ART’s long-term success. These steps can often leave patients overwhelmed and frustrated, so support at every step is vital. Fertility clinics can recommend emotional support groups, lifestyle changes, and stress reduction techniques. Pharmacy hubs are also helpful. Hubs are a team of experts that help patients navigate insurance and pharmacists and improve coordination between teams. Some even dispense bridge medication to improve adherence. Use all the advantages and resources available to simplify the process.
Embrace science to enjoy the stroller
ART is known to have favorable success rates, particularly in younger patients. Many procedures require multiple cycles, and the success rates improve with each attempt. Despite the benefits, the procedures are not without risk. Some common complications, like ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), can be managed with medical support. ART is still evolving, and scientists constantly look for ways to improve outcomes. If infertility or parenthood is a challenge, lean into the miracle of life, using science as a catalyst.
