Question

A man is found to have a sperm count of less than 20 million/mL and his wife is diagnosed with blockage in the oviduct. This couple would be advised to go for which of the following techniques ?

(i) ZIFT

(ii) AI

(iii) IUT

(iv) ICSI

(v) GIFT

• A. (i) and (iii)
• B. (ii) and (iii)
• C. (iii) and (iv)
• D. (iv) and (v)

Hint:

Low sperm count needs ICSI, and a blocked oviduct needs IUT, so the pair is (iii) and (iv).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: List the techniques:
The techniques given are (i) ZIFT, (ii) AI, (iii) IUT, (iv) ICSI and (v) GIFT.
ZIFT is zygote intra fallopian transfer. AI is artificial insemination. IUT is intra uterine transfer. ICSI is intracytoplasmic sperm injection. GIFT is gamete intra fallopian transfer.

Step 2: Apply the low sperm count:
A count below 20 million/mL is low. Fertilisation in the body is unlikely, so the sperm should be injected directly into the ovum. This is ICSI, option (iv).

Step 3: Apply the blocked oviduct:
A blocked oviduct means that anything placed in the fallopian tube cannot reach the uterus. ZIFT (i) and GIFT (v) use the fallopian tube, so they cannot help.
AI (ii) puts semen into the vagina or uterus, but the egg cannot travel through the blocked oviduct. So AI also does not help.
IUT (iii) puts the embryo of more than 8 blastomeres directly in the uterus and bypasses the oviduct.

Step 4: Combine:
The couple should take ICSI to get the zygote or embryo in the lab, and IUT to put it into the uterus. This is (iii) and (iv), option (C).
(A), (B) and (D) each contain a technique that needs a working oviduct, or do not cure the low sperm count.

Final Answer:
Option (C): ICSI to deal with the low sperm count and IUT to bypass the blocked oviduct.