This procedure has been around for the last couple of decades. It involves injecting sperm directly into the egg (the egg could still come from a donor). The sperm and egg are put into contact with each other to fertilise, unlike IVF in which the process of fertilisation is carried out in a test tube.
ICSI dramatically increases the chances of having a baby, especially if the problem is down to poor quality sperm, a low sperm count or a lack of sperm cells in the sperm (in which case, sperm cells are harvested directly from your partner's testicles). It can also be used if you are allergic to your partner's sperm or if you are affected by HIV.
According to studies carried out in Belgium, the success rate of ICSI is around 30% for women under 37. 80% of couples studied managed to conceive using ICSI.
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