Assisted reproductive technologies
... In vitro fertilization is basically conceiving a baby artificially. The technique has been used in animal research for decades, but only since 1978 has it been successfully applied to human reproduction. The eggs are recovered by two methods; one is using ultrasound guidance to retrieve the eggs; ore egg recovery, in which retrieval is made through a small incision in the abdomen. Once the eggs have been retrieved, they are placed in a fluid and mixed with semen that has been washed and incubated. The eggs are then removed and placed in a special growth environment and are examined again later. If the eggs become fertilized and are developing normally the eggs are transferred to the woman’s uterus. The average cost in the United States is $12,400. Insurance may pay for a portion of the procedure. A woman who is thirty and has the procedure has a 34.7% success rate, a woman of forty has a 15.2% chance. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is routinely performed in cases whe...