Fertility Treatments and Use of Hormones — AQA GCSE Biology
Hormones can be used to help people who have difficulty conceiving a child.
Using hormones to increase fertility
If a woman does not produce enough FSH for eggs to mature, she can be given FSH and LH as a "fertility drug". This stimulates eggs to mature and be released, increasing the chance of becoming pregnant naturally.
IVF (in vitro fertilisation)
IVF is a fertility treatment that involves:
- Giving FSH and LH to stimulate the maturation of several eggs.
- Collecting the eggs and fertilising them with sperm in the laboratory ("in vitro" = in glass).
- Allowing the fertilised eggs to develop into tiny embryos.
- Inserting one or two embryos into the woman's uterus.
Evaluating IVF
- Benefits: gives infertile couples a chance to have a baby.
- Drawbacks:
- It is emotionally and physically demanding.
- The success rate is relatively low.
- It can lead to multiple births, which are risky for mother and babies.
- It raises ethical issues (e.g. what happens to unused embryos).
You should be able to evaluate the use of fertility treatments using given information.
Exam tips
- FSH and LH are used as fertility drugs and in IVF to mature eggs.
- Learn the steps of IVF in order.
- Be ready to evaluate IVF (benefits vs drawbacks: cost, success rate, ethics, multiple births).