Methods of Human Reproduction

Since the birth of Louise Joy Brown in 1978 by in vitro fertilization, the methods of alternative reproduction have grown and doctors have improved their ability to suggest the best options for prospective parents. Whether one parent carries a serious genetic disorder or struggles with infertility, or if a single woman or same-sex couple wishes to conceive, a procedure exists that can potentially help realize the ultimate goal: a healthy baby to love.

Intercourse

• Unprotected sex, the simplest and least costly method of reproduction, doesn't always work for couples. Fertility-awareness practices involve pinpointing the woman's ovulation cycle and striving to become pregnant during that time. The man must have at least some active, healthy sperm capable of traveling through the woman's cervix and into the uterus. If an egg is present, a single sperm enters the egg and attempts to fertilize it, creating an embryo that attaches to the uterus.

Intrauterine Insemination

• Commonly referred to as artificial insemination, this method functions like fertilization by intercourse, except that the man's sperm is received into the vagina by a syringe-like tube. This method improves chances when the man has weak or few sperm or if the woman's cervical mucus is ineffective at assisting sperm into the uterus. With prices ranging from $300 to $800, intrauterine insemination can be a fairly straightforward and affordable form of assisted reproduction for couples having difficulty getting pregnant, single women and same-sex female couples.

In Vitro Fertilization

• From Latin meaning "in glass," in vitro fertilization involves combining sperm and eggs outside of the body and implanting an embryo in the uterus. After eggs and sperm are extracted from the parents or donors, doctors combine them in the lab and select a healthy-looking embryo to implant. Then, the fetus grows normally inside the womb. This process assists those with fertility issues and women who have had health complications like endometriosis. In the U.S., costs range from $8,000 to $20,000 per attempt.

Intrafallopian Transfer

• For women with healthy fallopian tubes, pregnancy can occur from either gamete intrafallopian transfer or zygote intrafallopian transfer. These methods begin like IVF but the woman's body takes care of implantation. GIFT is an option when intrauterine insemination hasn't worked and involves injecting a mixture of sperm and egg to the fallopian tubes. ZIFT injects an entire embryo into the fallopian tubes and requires an extra laparoscopy surgery. These alternatives offer the appeal of a more natural implantation than IVF.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

• Surrogate mothers can carry children who share none of their DNA.

  When standard IVF hasn't worked or seems unlikely to work by fertility doctors, an alternative is the intracytoplasmic injection. A doctor injects the egg with a single, strong sperm using a microscopic needle. Prospective fathers with low sperm count or poor sperm motility can benefit from intracytoplasmic injection. The process costs $500 to $2,000 and requires the additional process of implantation used for IVF.

Surrogacy

• For same-sex male couples or women who have experienced miscarriages, had a hysterectomy or otherwise cannot carry a child, another woman can receive a fertilized egg and gestate the fetus as a surrogate. The child will be the biological offspring of the people that provided the sperm and egg. The surrogacy process involves entering a legal contract with the surrogate and can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Another hurdle is parental rights: laws vary within the U.S. and elsewhere regarding potential custodial rights of the parties involved.