Why Genetic Screening Is A Good Idea During Treatment For Infertility

June 11, 2011 | Author: Beverly Westerfall | Posted in Babies

Infertility is an issue thousands of us have to deal with every day. That strong desire to have children is one that’s within most of us but the frustration and fear that those of us who are having problems conceiving is something that only a few of us have to cope with. However, there are fertility treatment centers that can increase the chances of conception greatly with a variety of techniques up to and including in vitro fertilization (IVF). With as many causes for infertility, it may be a wise decision to have genetic screening done to see if the cause of your infertility could be genetically related.

In vitro fertilization is a technique where an egg is fertilized with spermatozoa and then implanted in the uterus. There’s a lot more to it than that, but that is a quick synopsis of the process which does entail at least one surgery which, while not dangerous in and of itself, still poses the inherent dangers in any surgery. Not only that, but the IVF process is expensive and while the process can almost guarantee a pregnancy, the expense may be more than can be afforded. Insurance companies do not pay for many fertility treatments including IVF and genetic screening so the expense is all on the prospective parents.

IVF is a possible treatment if the cause of the infertility is known or is discovered in the treatment process. However, if the true cause isn’t known or it is traced to a genetic defect, then having a genetic screening evaluation performed may impact the decision to have the IVF surgery performed. If the main reason for infertility was because of a genetic defect, then the odds are pretty high that the same genetic defect would be passed onto the potential child.

To see if there are any other genetically based issues or illnesses in the immediate family, is another good reason to preform genetic testing. Those circumstances coupled with the expense and the danger of a surgery may be more than a couple is prepared to deal with.

If the fertility doctors think that IVF is going to be the final option then you’ll be glad to know that IVF does have a good rate of success. However, the strain on the family and the ultimate results may be more than can be handled. If you’re considering in vitro fertilization then definitely have a genetic screening test so you’ll be able to make a fully informed decision.

Getting pre-implantation genetic screening is a good idea if you are thinking of seeing an infertility doctor. When Beverly Westerfall and her husband were having problems starting a family, she found a fertility clinic in Houston that could get them on the path to start a family.

Author: Beverly Westerfall

This author has published 9 articles so far. More info about the author is coming soon.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.