Infertility refers to the inability of couples to produce children despite unprotected sexual co-habitation. The reasons could be physical, congenital, diseases, drugs, immunological, or psychological. Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) are special techniques that help infertile couples have children.

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is popularly known as the test tube baby programme. In this method, ova from the wife/donor and sperms from the husband/donor are collected and induced to form a zygote under simulated laboratory conditions. This is followed by Embryo Transfer (ET). The zygote or early embryos (up to 8 blastomeres) can be transferred into the fallopian tube (ZIFT – Zygote Intra Fallopian Transfer), while embryos with more than 8 blastomeres are transferred into the uterus (IUT – Intra Uterine Transfer) for further development.

Gamete Intra Fallopian Transfer (GIFT) involves transferring an ovum collected from a donor into the fallopian tube of another female who cannot produce one but can provide a suitable environment for fertilisation. Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a specialised procedure where a sperm is directly injected into the ovum to form an embryo in the laboratory.

Artificial Insemination (AI) is useful in cases where the male partner cannot inseminate the female or has very low sperm counts. In this technique, semen collected from the husband or a healthy donor is artificially introduced into the vagina or uterus (IUI – Intra Uterine Insemination) of the female.

Legal Adoption is another important option for couples seeking parenthood. India has many orphaned and destitute children, and our laws permit legal adoption, which is considered one of the best methods for couples looking for parenthood.