22nd October 2026
Fertility
Follow the latest news and developments in the world of fertility.
< View all our fertility news and posts
Starting out on your fertility journey can feel overwhelming. With so many acronyms, treatment names and different options to get your head around, it can be difficult to know where to begin.
In this guide, we’ll talk you through the main fertility treatments, what the terminology means and when each one might be suggested.
| Fertility treatment | What is it? | Who could it be for? |
| Ovulation Induction | Medication is used to encourage or regulate ovulation. | People who don’t ovulate regularly, including some people with PMOS (previously PCOS). |
| IUI | Prepared sperm is placed directly into the womb around ovulation. | Some people using donor sperm and selected patients where fertilisation can still happen inside the body. |
| IVF | Eggs are collected and fertilised with sperm in the laboratory before an embryo is transferred to the uterus. | People with a range of fertility issues, including blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, endometriosis or previous unsuccessful treatment. |
| ICSI | A single sperm is injected directly into a mature egg during IVF. | Often used where sperm quality could make fertilisation more difficult or sperm has been retrieved surgically. |
| PICSI | A technique used to help select sperm before ICSI. | It can be considered in particular IVF/ICSI cases, where sperm maturity is abnormal. |
| Donor sperm treatment | Donor sperm can be used for insemination or as part of IVF/ICSI treatment. | Single women, same sex women or heterosexual couples who need donor sperm to conceive. |
| Donor egg treatment | Donated eggs are fertilised in the laboratory as part of IVF. | People who can’t use their own eggs or whose chance of success with their own eggs is very low. |
| Surgical sperm retrieval | Sperm is collected directly from the epididymis or testicle using techniques such as PESA or TESE. | Some men where sperm isn’t present in the ejaculate. |
| Frozen embryo transfer (FET) | A previously frozen embryo is thawed and transferred to the uterus. | People who have embryos stored from an earlier IVF cycle. |
| Egg or sperm freezing | Eggs or sperm are frozen and stored for possible future treatment. | People who want or need to preserve their fertility for the future. |
| Surrogacy treatment | Fertility treatment is used to create an embryo that is carried by a surrogate. | People who can’t carry a pregnancy themselves or for whom pregnancy would be unsafe. |
Where do you start?
At most clinics, you’ll be offered an initial assessment to understand what could be making it harder to conceive.
Depending on your situation, that could involve checking whether you’re ovulating, looking at your ovarian reserve, assessing the fallopian tubes or carrying out a semen analysis.
Your age and medical history matter too, as does how long you’ve been trying and whether you’ve had fertility treatment before.
Once those pieces are put together, it becomes much easier to narrow down which treatments could realistically help.
“One of the things we often hear from patients is that fertility treatment can feel like a lot to take in at first. There are so many different options, but that’s actually a positive thing because it means we can look at what’s going on for you and tailor treatment around your needs. You don’t need to have all the answers before you come to see us – that’s what we’re here to help with.” – David Ogutu, Medical Director at Herts & Essex Fertility Centre.
What if you’re not ovulating regularly?
If irregular or absent ovulation is the main issue, you might not need IVF.
Ovulation induction uses medication to encourage the ovaries to release an egg. It’s often used for people with conditions such as PMOS or irregular cycles.
Treatment is usually monitored so the team can see how your ovaries are responding and work out when ovulation is likely to happen.
If there are other fertility factors as well, a different option could make more sense.
What if your fallopian tubes are blocked?
The fallopian tubes play an essential role in natural conception, as this is where the sperm and egg normally meet and fertilisation takes place.
If one or both fallopian tubes are blocked, treatment options will depend on the location and severity of the blockage. In some cases, keyhole surgery (laparoscopy) may be possible to reopen the affected tubes and improve the chances of natural conception.
If at least one fallopian tube is healthy and open, natural conception may still be possible. Fertility treatments such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) may also be suitable in certain circumstances.
If both fallopian tubes are blocked or severely damaged, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is usually the recommended treatment. IVF bypasses the fallopian tubes entirely: eggs are collected directly from the ovaries and fertilised with sperm in the laboratory, before an embryo is transferred into the uterus.
What if there’s a problem with sperm?
The treatment depends on what the semen analysis shows.
If sperm quality is suitable, conventional IVF could be used. If there are significant issues with sperm count, movement or shape, ICSI might be a better option because a single sperm is injected directly into each mature egg.
In some cases, there’s no sperm in the ejaculate. Surgical sperm retrieval techniques such as PESA or TESE can sometimes be used to collect sperm directly, which can then be used with ICSI.
This is also where PICSI could come into the conversation in selected cases, although it isn’t something every patient having ICSI will need.
What if you’re using donor sperm or donor eggs?
Donor treatment can open different routes to parenthood.
Donor sperm can be used with either IUI or IVF. The best option will depend on your fertility tests and whether there are any other factors affecting conception.
Donor eggs are used as part of IVF. The donated eggs are fertilised in the laboratory and, if an embryo develops and is suitable for transfer, it can be placed into the uterus.
People consider donor eggs for lots of different reasons, including age, very low ovarian reserve, some genetic conditions or previous treatment outcomes.
What if you already have frozen embryos?
If you have embryos stored from an earlier IVF cycle, you might not need another egg collection.
A frozen embryo transfer, often shortened to FET, involves thawing a previously frozen embryo and transferring it to the uterus.
Embryos are commonly frozen when there are suitable embryos left after an IVF cycle, or when a fresh transfer isn’t planned.
For some patients, this means the next stage of treatment can be much simpler than starting another full IVF cycle.
What if you want to preserve your fertility for later?
Fertility treatment isn’t always about trying for a baby now.
Egg freezing could be an option if you want to preserve eggs for possible use in the future. The process involves ovarian stimulation and egg collection, followed by freezing of suitable mature eggs.
Sperm can also be frozen. This is often considered before treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery that could affect fertility, as well as in some other situations where future sperm quality is a concern.
Embryos created through IVF can also be frozen and stored for later use.
Freezing eggs, sperm or embryos gives you another option for the future, although it can’t guarantee a pregnancy later on.
What if you can’t carry a pregnancy yourself?
For some people, surrogacy forms part of their fertility treatment.
This could be an option where someone can’t carry a pregnancy or where pregnancy would pose a serious health risk.
Treatment can involve creating an embryo through IVF before transferring it to a surrogate. The exact route depends on whose eggs and sperm are being used and the individual circumstances.
Because surrogacy also involves important legal and counselling considerations, it needs careful planning alongside the medical side of treatment.
Could more than one fertility treatment be right for you?
Yes. Sometimes there’s one clear route. In other situations, you could have more than one reasonable option.
You might be able to choose between IUI and IVF, for example, or there could be a decision between conventional IVF and ICSI depending on sperm quality.
Sometimes we won’t make every decision at the start of your cycle. Because sperm quality can vary, we might wait until the day of egg collection before deciding whether conventional IVF or ICSI is the better option for you.
Which fertility treatment is right for you?
There are more fertility treatments available than most people realise, and you won’t necessarily need IVF just because you’ve come to a fertility clinic.
You could need some help with ovulation, treatment using your own eggs and sperm, donor treatment, sperm retrieval or a frozen embryo transfer. You could also be thinking about preserving your fertility rather than trying to conceive straight away.
A fertility assessment helps narrow those options down and gives you a clearer idea of what your next step could look like.
If you’d like to talk about your fertility or find out which treatments could be suitable for you, book a consultation or sign up for one of our open evenings.
