In Vitro Fertilization in Germany

First of all, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process in which an egg is impregnated with sperm outside the woman's body: in vitro. IVF is the main way to treat infertility, when other methods of assisted reproductive technologies have not been successful. The procedure involves monitoring the process of ovulation by removing eggs from the woman's ovaries and allowing the sperm to fertilize them in a liquid medium in the laboratory. When the natural cycle of a woman is controlled to receive naturally produced eggs for fertilization, this process is called a natural cycle of IVF. Fertilized ovules (zygotes) are then transferred to the patient's uterus in order to create a successful pregnancy. The first successful birth of a "baby from a test tube," Louise Brown, occurred in 1978. Louise Brown was born as a result of the natural cycle of IVF. Robert G. Edwards, a physiologist who developed this method of treatment, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2010.

The term "in vitro" from Latin means "in glass" and is used because early biological experiments to cultivate tissues outside the living organism from which they originated were carried out in glass containers, such as glasses, test tubes or Petri dishes. Today, the term "in vitro" is used to refer to any biological procedure that is performed outside the body, where the cell would normally develop to distinguish it from the procedure under natural conditions, where the tissue remains inside the living organism in which it normally resides. The spoken term "baby from the test tube" was invented for infants born as a result of IVF, and it refers to tubular containers made of glass or plastic resin, called test tubes, which are commonly used in chemical and biological laboratories. However, in vitro fertilization, as a rule, is carried out in smaller test tubes, called Petri dishes. One of the methods of IVF, Autologous endometrial co-culture, is actually performed on the basis of organic materials, but is still considered "in vitro".

IVF can be used to treat female infertility associated with the problems of the fallopian tubes, which makes fertilization in vivo very difficult. It can also help in the treatment of male infertility, where there is a defect in the quality of sperm. In such cases, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IRIS) can be used, where the spermatozoon is injected directly into the egg. This is used when sperm hardly penetrate into the egg, and in these cases sperm of the partner or donor can be used. IRIS is also used when the number of spermatozoa in the semen is very low. It was found that the use of IRIS increases the percentage of IVF success.

Reproductive tourism is the practice of traveling to other countries for the treatment of infertility. It can be considered as one of the forms of medical tourism. The main reasons for reproductive tourism can be the legal regulation of the required procedure in their home country or lower prices. In vitro fertilization and donor insemination are the main procedures for reproductive tourism.

There is a general demand for sperm donors who do not have genetic problems in the family, with excellent eyesight, higher education, and sometimes even the value has a certain height, age, eye color, hair, blood type and ethnicity. Anecdotally, but experience shows that the demand for high donors, who are natural blondes with blue eyes, is the biggest. Probably why so many medical tourists come to Germany for reproductive purposes.