A New Method To Treat Infertility

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

August 25, 2002

What causes the first crisis in a marriage? Sometimes it's finance or in-laws. But for many it's the failure to become a mother. Now a "Puregon Pen" is available, one of the latest techniques, helps women to ovulate, increasing the chance of pregnancy.

For some couples having a baby is as easy as turning on a light switch. But for 15 percent of the population the switch doesn't turn on.

There are many causes of infertility. Some women have blocked fallopian tubes from previous pelvic infection. Others have scarred tubes due to endometriosis (internal bleeding during menstruation). Still others are unable to produce a healthy egg every month.

Dr. Arthur Leader, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ottawa, says that depression is a common response to infertility. After all, it's often said that "any fool can get pregnant". So when it doesn't happen, both male and female begin to think "I'm worse than a fool". And one's sex life isn't improved by inviting the doctor into the bedroom.

Dr. Leader cites several misconceptions about infertility. Most people blame infertility on the female. But 50 percent of the time it's due to the male. And when the problem finally lands on the male's doorstep, most lay the blame on a lack of, or inadequate numbers of, sperm. But often it's due to abnormal sperm.

It's impossible for women to become pregnant when an egg is not produced every month. Some women ovulate, but at infrequent intervals, making pregnancy less likely. It's well known that athletes who spend hours training day after day are susceptible to this problem.

Pregnancy depends on "timing". The human egg only lives a few hours following ovulation. But women generally have no idea when the egg pops out of the ovary. It means couples need the luck of the Irish to have sexual intercourse at the exact time.

Formerly doctors used a little science and much Black Magic to help infertility patients. Today's treatment is high-tech science and less Lady Luck.

It all changed with the birth of Louise Brown, the world's first test-tube baby. Now 500,000 people owe their existence to in-vitro fertilization (IVF). A process in which the egg is fertilized and then placed inside the uterus. Today one percent of all births in this country result from IVF.

I recently learned of the latest technique to help infertile women, the Puregon Pen, during a Canadian infertility meeting in Whistler, British Columbia. It's a simple device like the ones diabetics use for insulin delivery. It stimulates and regulates female ovulation.

Formerly women had to self-inject using syringes. This involved mixing hormones with saline, a tedious, stressful, process and with the ever present chance of calculating and administering the wrong dose.

The Puregon Pen is a much easier and convenient method. It eliminates all these time-consuming tasks and minimizes the chance of error.

It's also easy to teach patients how to use the Pen. Women simply place a small cartridge into the Pen, turn a knob to dial a prescribed amount and inject the hormone using a needle so thin there's little discomfort. The device can also be carried discretely in a purse.

Marianne Morrison, an infertility nurse, reported that many women who do become pregnant still suffer from a combination of exultation and low self-esteem. They wonder, "Why did I have to do it this way?"

It is not surprising patients have this attitude. They've been conditioned for years that getting pregnant is as easy as rolling off a log. It's only after months of attempting pregnancy that they finally accept the fact they may not become a mother.

This is a huge psychological blow. They then have the grueling task of repeated visits to their doctor, numerous ultrasound and blood tests to determine the time of ovulation. And, without the Puregon Pen, calculating the daily dose of hormone injections.

But the biggest blow was facing repeated failures. And wondering whether they should go through the process once again. Small wonder that when pregnancy finally occurs they inwardly say, "Why did I have to do it this way?"

W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod