Ch16 Case Study 9 A Couple Considers Fertility Treatment Brian and Laura have be
ID: 90804 • Letter: C
Question
Ch16 Case Study 9 A Couple Considers Fertility Treatment
Brian and Laura have been married for 10 years. During the first 5 years of their marriage, they didn’t really think about having children, mainly because of them were very busy. Laura was an attorney and Brian was finishing his master’s degree.
When Laura’s sister became pregnant, it started them thinking. They decided to have a child and assumed getting pregnant would be easy. But that was not the case. After a year of trying to conceive, they decided to talk to Laura’s doctor. Shortly before the appointment with the gynecologist, Dr. Franco, the couple watched a television show that talked about new techniques to help infertile couple. Laura and Ben were amazed to learn that about 7 million American couples are infertile, and clinics all over the country specialize in helping them. The procedures were expensive though, and they wondered what they would do if they couldn’t get pregnant the “normal” way.
Brian thought they should adopt and not put themselves through the tests and procedures. Laura disagreed; she wanted a genetically related child.
Read up on the different fertility treatments available and answer the following questions.
1. What tests should Dr. Franco perform on Brian and Laura?
2. List four things that Brain and Laura might do to solve their problem.
3. What do you think Brian and Laura should do? Why?
4. Give three reasons why Brian and Laura should use ART?
5. What are the three credible reasons to adopt instead of using ART?
6. Do you know anyone who has experienced infertility? Do you know more than one couple with infertility problems? If so, how many? See if they will tell you their story; if so write a paragraph about it.
7. Give two reasons why ART has become so important.
Explanation / Answer
Dr.Franco should perform tests of male infertility to check any obstruction in normal process of sperm production and ejaculation and related tests of female infertility to check normal functioning of ovaries to produce healthy eggs, normal functioning of reproductive tract and fallopian tubules to let pass the egg to the uterus along with its successful implantation in the lining. The tests include Semen analysis, Hormone testing, Genetic testing,Testicular Biopsy and Imaging in Males. For females the diagnosis can be done through Ovulation testing, Hormones testing, genetic testing, Imaging, Tests of Uterus and Fallopian tubules for diagnosing blockages through technology like Hysteroscopy, laparoscopy etc. (a) Brian and Laura might go for treatment through medicines. (b) If medicines did not help, they may go for Assisted reproductive Technology after their doctor's recommendations. (c) They might go for ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) or Assisted Hatching (d) They might choose to have a gestational carrier for them. (a) Follow up their gynaecologist for regular checkup and treatment sittings. (b) Improve lifestyle by regular exercise, reducing or eliminating harmful things from diet, and stop using selective medications that may impair fertility. (c) Increase the frequency and timing of sexual intercourse. (d) Take assistance of medication to improve semen production and ovulation. They should use ART if their diagnosis tests tell it to be compulsary. (a) ART can easily cure complex problems like blocked or damaged fallopian tubules and she can have a baby using her own egg. (b) ART can maximize the chances of aged parents to conceive. (c) With IVF, there are more chances of infertile males to conceive than conceiving normally. (a) Even after multiple sessions of treatments and surgeries there is no guarantee of pregnancy. (b) Each surgery has its own side effects and risks. (c) In IVF treatments, there are high chances of multiple pregnancies at a time which may have its own risks and health problems.