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This lesson covers how hormones and medical technology can be used to help people who have difficulty conceiving. The Edexcel GCSE Biology (1BI0) specification requires you to understand in vitro fertilisation (IVF), the use of clomifene to stimulate ovulation, and the ethical issues surrounding fertility treatment.
Some couples have difficulty conceiving naturally. Causes of infertility include:
| Cause | Detail |
|---|---|
| Failure to ovulate | The ovaries do not release eggs regularly (may be due to hormonal imbalance) |
| Blocked oviducts | The fallopian tubes are blocked or damaged, preventing egg and sperm from meeting |
| Low sperm count | The male partner produces too few sperm, or sperm with poor motility |
| Endometriosis | Uterus lining tissue grows outside the uterus, causing scarring |
| Age | Female fertility declines significantly after age 35 |
| Unexplained infertility | No identifiable medical cause |
Clomifene (also called clomiphene) is a drug used to treat infertility in women who are not ovulating regularly.
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