Introcytoplasmic Sperm Injection - Giving The Sperm A Hand
Introcytoplasmic sperm injection has been a growing practice in the recent past. It is most commonly used to overcome the effects of male infertility. The process of introcytoplasmic sperm injection is fairly simple, however the original process was protested due to the fact that there was no testing of the sperm before they were injected into the egg, thus it has become a little more complex over the years.
To begin with, the process of introcytoplasmic sperm injection only involved drawing the sperm from a male, preparing the egg, and then using a needle to place the sperm inside of the egg. The process of natural selection in normal fertilization meant that the most mature sperm was the one that made it through the outer layer of the egg. However, since the sperm are being drawn at random by the embryologist, this process is bypassed. Hence, the concern that the sperm being used were not properly ready for fertilization.
In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration passed a new way of testing the sperm for readiness. This process involves placing the sperm in a dish coated with the same material that would normally line an egg. Whichever sperm are able to latch onto the material are the ones that are ready for insemination. These are taken to be injected into the egg via the needle. By testing the sperm first, risks of underdevelopment are decreased substantially. Even in cases where men are said to be completely without sperm, they are usually able to find a few, which is enough to fertilize one egg.
There are some basic differences between this method and the conventional in-vitro fertilization method. Introcytoplasmic sperm injection places one sperm into one egg, which is also the same in the in-vitro fertilization process. The difference comes with what happens to the embryo after it has been fertilized. Introcytoplasmic embryos develop outside of the uterus, whereas in-vitro embryos are placed back into the woman’s uterus within days of fertilization. The original method works, assuming that the woman has no difficulties with her own uterus to provide for the child. In cases where both male and female are unable to provide for the embryo, introcytoplasmic injection is easier because it leaves the embryo under constant care from the embryologist instead.
No matter how great the male’s infertility is, introcytoplasmic sperm injection is almost always successful because it only requires a single sperm. Compared to other methods of artificial insemination the success rates are very high because the embryo is cared for directly by the embryologist rather than depending upon the mother’s uterus. The original process of introcytoplasmic injection was very streamlined and simple, but not as effective as it could have been. Since then, the process has better developed into a system that tests the sperm for maturity before placing them within the egg. This decreases the risk of underdevelopment and health risks to the embryo. Even for men who are said to have absolutely no chance at insemination a woman, this process helps the sperm in finding its destiny.
