In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Of the various treatment options available for the treatment of infertility, none of the treatment procedures have had an impact on the society as much as in vitro fertilization. The use of these reproductive techniques has generated tremendous interest, concern and controversy in the recent years.

Human beings practice sexual reproduction, which involves the fusion of the sperm and ovum.

Sperm is the male gamete and a male probably makes and releases several trillion sperms during his lifetime. Sperm production does not begin until puberty. However it continues till the rest of life although the quality may be compromised with increasing age. The sperm is very small compared to the human egg and is made up of three major parts, the head, neck and the tail. The total length of the sperm is about 0.06 mm in human beings. The human sperm takes only about 3 months to mature and can be released instantaneously. So the sperm, which is ejaculated today, was manufactured 3 months ago!