Successful intravaginal culture of human embryos for the first time in Pakistan--an experience at the Sindh Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Karachi

Abstract

Approximately 10-15% of the married couples remain childless. Conventional in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been the treatment option for most of these cases. However, it is expensive and only available to a small fraction of the infertile population. The Sindh Institute of Reproductive Medicine (SIRM), Karachi, Pakistan, has introduced a new method of IVF for the first time in Pakistan. Intravaginal culture (IVC) is a simple, reliable and cost-effective alternative to IVF. The procedure can be performed in an office set-up with minor capital equipment. Here, we report a case of a subfertile woman treated by IVC, which resulted in successful fertilisation of the eggs (fertilisation rate 71.42%) and embryo development, with an intrauterine pregnancy. Since this is the first successful case of IVC in Pakistan, comparative success rate and take-home baby rate have yet to be established.