The desire to have a child is a natural, human need recognized by the World Health Organization as a basic right of an individual. However, the process of conception itself depends on the normal and well-timed functioning of many core systems both in the male and the female body, and any malfunction may hamper the long-awaited meeting between the egg and sperm.
ivf - A Solution for Infertility
Infertility is defined as the lack of ability to conceive for the duration of one year. This problem is found in about 15% of couples of childbearing age. In Israel, about 100,000 couples suffer from infertility and for some of them, in-vitro fertilization treatment (ivf) is the suggested method of treatment following failure or unsuitability of other treatment methods.
What is ivf Treatment?
In vitro fertilization (ivf) treatment is based on an attempt to mimic the natural fertilization process that occurs in the woman's body. However, unlike a natural conception, the meeting place between the sperm and the egg occurs in a laboratory test tube. After the egg is fertilized, the developing embryo is returned to the mother where it will hopefully develop into a healthy pregnancy. The world's first test tube baby was born via ivf in England in 1978.
Since then, there has been significant development and progress in understanding the biological processes of reproduction and new treatment options have opened up for infertility problems.
About the ivf Unit at Hadassah
The ivf Unit in Ein Kerem has been active since 1982 while the Mount Scopus ivf Unit opened in 1992. The units are headed by a professional medical staff who are among the pioneers in the field of ivf treatment in Israel and the world. Each year about 130 children are conceived in each unit, and the pregnancy rate is among the highest in the world.
The ivf unit at Hadassah provides the most innovative treatments in the field including the injection of a single sperm into the egg (ICSI), accelerating the budding of the blastocyst, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, and testicular sperm cell production. We also assist women who need egg donation.
We are aware that each couple that comes to us for ivf treatment has undergone long and exhausting treatments and believe that knowledge and recognition of the process can facilitate coping with the physical and mental difficulties. To assist with this process, this site contains information which can be used to help you.