Today, there are several different procedures that can help couples who are having trouble conceiving. While most procedures actually focus on infertility in women, some such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI are aimed at helping male infertility. This method can also be used when other in vitro fertilization methods have been used and have failed. This procedure actually allows couples who have little hope of conception the ability to procure viable fertilized embryos, and will hopefully be able to conceive a child.



ICSI involves accurate maneuvers to successfully pick up one single live sperm and then insert it directly into a human egg. For this procedure to work, the female must take fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries in order to produce several mature eggs. The eggs are extracted through the vagina.

The procedure uses equipment such as inverted microscopes and ultrasound equipment to choose and pick-up sperm one at a time into a specially made tiny hollow needle. The needle is then accurately and very carefully inserted into the egg's outer shell and membrane.

The sperm is then inserted into the egg's inner part. Normally, about 70 to 85 percent of eggs that are injected with sperm using this procedure result in fertilization.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection does involve some risks. The first risk comes during the procedure; a small amount of eggs may be irreparably damaged with the use of the needle that is used during the ICSI procedure. The other risk may happen during development.

There is a small increase, about 4%, of the chance that the baby may develop a chromosomal abnormality. While physicians are not sure why this 4% risk exists, they do know that sex chromosome abnormalities can also cause some issues of its own. Sex chromosome abnormalities carry the risk of problems such as a higher risk of miscarriage, heart problems that may require surgery in infants and an increased risk of learning disabilities and behavioral issues in children.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection has helped overcome many of the various barriers to fertilization and has allowed couples, that once had very little hope of conceiving, the ability to obtain fertilized embryos. Statistics show that the likelihood of conception when a couple has unprotected intercourse after one month is about 25%.

This number increases to 85% to 90% after a year of unprotected intercourse. The issue lies with the fact that about 10% to 15% of couples who are trying to have a baby, within the United States, face infertility issues. Procedures like ICSI have made it possible for some of these couples to conceive a child that biologically belongs to them.