Fertility Technique Common, Despite Doubts
(cz) The use of a fertility technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection, which involves injecting a sperm directly into an egg, has increased dramatically in the United States since 1995, despite uncertainty about its effectiveness and risks, researchers say.
A study published in the July 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine analyzed data on fertility treatments from 1995 to 2004. The study included all in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles involving fresh embryos from non-donor eggs in women younger than 43.
The team found that while the proportion of patients receiving treatment for male factor infertility has remained stable, the percentage of IVF cycles that used intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) increased from 11 percent to 57.5 percent during the 10-year time span.
“Despite its added cost and uncertain efficacy and risk, the use of ICSI has been extended to include patients without documented male-factor infertility,” the study’s lead author Dr. Tarun Jain, assistant professor of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said in a prepared statement. more…
From: »Forbes«