In case you or your partner has problems with infertility, the first thing you should do is to talk to your doctor. He or she will be able to suggest fertility treatments, starting with the least invasive ones.

You might think that you should start with the most expensive and most invasive ones, such as IVF (in vitro fertilization).

While it is true that they are effective, there are some other methods as well that are cheaper and that could offer you the same results.

Fertility drugs as treatments for fertility

It is possible that you are faced with infertility because of a hormonal imbalance. By taking these drugs, both men and women can get their hormonal imbalance back on track. Even in case the reason of your infertility is not known, these drugs could help you. The good thing about this treatment is that it can be used simultaneously with other treatments, such as artificial insemination.

Fertility TreatmentsArtificial insemination

This is another one of the fertility treatments. In the majority of the cases the treatment is used in case the sperm of your partner can’t get to your uterus.

In case a concentrated dose of sperm is placed in your uterus at the right time, the chances of getting pregnant increase considerably.

Surgery

This one of the treatments for fertility is used only in certain situations. These include having blocked fallopian tubes, genetic defects, endometriosis, ovarian cysts or fibroids. Through the procedure your doctor will find the source of the problem and he or she could be able to clear the way of the sperm with the help of a laparoscope.

Before considering this one of the fertility treatments, you should know that the procedure could end up being extensive, and in the majority of the cases there is need for an incision on your abdomen. Nonetheless in the majority of the cases there is no need for surgery and other treatments may be a lot more effective.

Assisted reproductive technology

In case you are faced with blocked fallopian tubes or low sperm count and you are looking for treatments for fertility even though everything else have failed, there are some new kinds of technologies that you could consider. These include in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, gamete intrafallopian transfer or even zygote intrafallopian transfer.

In some cases when thinking about fertility treatments, you also have to consider that due to your condition or your age you are going to need an egg donor. In other times a surrogate mother or a gestational carrier is an option that you have to take into consideration.

How effective the treatments are?

About 33% of the ART transfers result in a pregnancy, and the success rate in case of the couples using egg donors is of 50%. There are some things that you could do besides using treatments for fertility.

These include giving up smoking and alcohol, opting for a healthy diet and cutting back on caffeine. All these improve your chances of getting pregnant. Nonetheless, in the end, the results depend on your condition and also on your age. Keep in mind that women over 40 find it a lot more difficult to get pregnant than younger women.

Another thing you should consider before opting for fertility treatments is that you will also be affected emotionally. This is why it is important to surround yourself with supportive people, but there is also the option of talking to a professional or finding a support group.

Success rates

During the treatments for fertility you doctor will be offering you statistical data on various possibilities, such as having an ectopic pregnancy or having twins. The most important ones that you have to listen to is the live birth rate and pregnancy rate. Remember that the pregnancy rate is always bigger than the live birth rate, because there could be miscarriages and other problems of the sort.

Another thing to remember regarding fertility treatments is that the success rate is a national average and it doesn’t take into account the different kinds of treatments. It is possible that your doctor will suggest you move on to a different method after 4-6 tries, because according to certain specialists, in case you don’t succeed the first 3 times chances are that you never will.

The statistical data that you receive regarding fertility treatments might be misleading, because some of the clinics don’t treat women over 40 or they turn away from couples that have complicated or more serious problems.