Two most commonly used fertility treatment methods showed no improvement in increasing the chances of getting pregnant.
Researchers from Aberdeen University examined 580 couples with unexplained difficulties in conceiving. They looked at two most common fertility treatment methods: drugs that stimulate ovulation and artificial insemination. These treatment methods are being prescribed when doctors don't really understand the main cause of infertility.
The first method offers drugs - clomid (clomifene citrate) - such as Clomid, Serophene, and Milophene. The treatment increases chances of having twins, triples and has adverse side effects like hot flashed, headaches, abdominal pain.
The second method is unstimulated intrauterine insemination, when sperm is inserted into woman's womb. This treatment is more successful in cases with donor sperm.
There is also a third treatment method - in-vitro fertilization - which is considered to be the most successful fertility treatment so far. However, the treatment is very effective and not all couples willing to have babies will afford this treatment. This is why doctors go to it as the last chance.
Studied couples were divided into three groups: the first group was just advised to have regular sex, the second group women were prescribed fertility pills, the third group women were prescribed to undergo artificial insemination.
Six month after the study started, 32 (17%) couples in the first group, 26 (14%) couples in the second group, and 43 (23%) couples in the third group got pregnant. This is a very low success rate, which urges that these two commonly used fertility treatment methods are not successful and should be banned.
Dr Allan Pacey from University of Sheffield said: "Intrauterine insemination has been offered to couples with unexplained infertility for many years, but if there is no benefit in doing so then we should re-evaluate the clinical guidelines so that NHS money is used wisely."
Reported by Ruzanna Haroutiunyan for eMaxHealth's Childbirth column.
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