D) Fertilisation

 

After the sperm sample is sent to the laboratory, it is prepared, washed and the most active and motile sperm used to inseminate the egg. This can be done either by mixing the egg with a known amount of sperm or by selecting the healthiest sperm and injecting it directly into the egg gently (a process called intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI). This is recommended usually if the sperm count is low or of poor quality. Your doctor will explain these techniques to you if they are required. The next day the eggs are examined under the microscope for the earliest signs of fertilization. Not all the eggs may fertilise and in some cases fertilisation does not occur at all. Special tests can then be performed to understand the reasons for this in the hope of preventing it the next time; your doctor can discuss this with you.

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