Donor Sperm Fertility Method: Sperm from a male other than the intended father is used. The woman then undergoes artificial insemination or IVF.
Best Suited For: Couples experiencing male factor infertility, men carrying genetic disorders they don't want to pass on to their children, and single women.
Success Rates*: About 8% to 15% of women get pregnant per cycle.
Pros: Allows infertile men, carriers of genetic disorders, and single women to have a child.
Cons: The father isn't genetically related to the child.
Costs: Each semen specimen costs $200 to $300. Add $200 to $500 for sperm bank fees, plus the cost of IVF or IUI.
Emotional Toll: Concerns about bringing a stranger's genetic makeup into the family. It's an involved procedure with relatively low success rates, which is often stressful for a couple.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Fertility Method: Multi-step process (called a cycle) in which a woman's eggs are extracted and fertilized with sperm in the lab and the resulting embryo is implanted in the uterus.
Best Suited For: Women with blocked or severely damaged fallopian tubes or scarring from endometriosis; older women with fewer years of fertility remaining. Also, men with very poor sperm quality or couples with unexplained infertility.
Success Rates*: Roughly one-fourth of IVF cycles result in live births (33% among women under 35; 27% among women 35 to 37; 18% for women 38 to 40; 10% if 41 or 42; 4% if older than 42).
Pros: Couples with serious fertility problems can become parents.
Cons: Increased risk of multiple pregnancies and, as a result, premature labor. Also, greater chance of low birth weight babies. Treatments are costly and physically demanding.
Costs: $8,000 to $15,000 per cycle.
Emotional Toll: Can be an emotional roller coaster for hopeful parents who often undergo repeated attempts with IVF. Each cycle takes six weeks or so, and the wait for results is stressful.
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