Ovulation Induction
This involves taking medication in the form of tablets or injections to induce ovulation. Then you will be advised of the optimal time to have intercourse. This is an appropriate treatment for women who do not regularly ovulate. It is of minimal benefit to women who already naturally ovulate each month.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
This involves pinpointing the day of ovulation, and then concentrating the moving proportion of sperm (motile sperm) and injecting it directly into the uterine cavity. This helps the sperm bypass the cervical canal. This treatment is less effective if the sperm is very abnormal or with advancing age of the woman.
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
This involves stimulating the ovaries to release more than one egg for the treatment month with fertility medication. Then right before ovulation, the eggs are collected under general anaesthesia via a small procedure involving a fine needle through the vagina. The eggs are then fertilised with the sperm by either immersing them in the sperm, or by selecting the sperm and injecting it into the egg (ICSI). The fertilised egg (embryo) is then cultured in the laboratory for 2-5 days and then inserted back into the uterus, to await implantation (attachment to the uterus).
Operative Laparoscopy or Hysteroscopy
This is a day procedure under general anaesthesia where pelvic pathology that may compromise fertility (such as endometriosis, polyps, or fibroids) are treated.