When researchers first discovered that they could inject sperm straight into an egg in order to fertilise it (Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI), the prospects for men with fertility problems were transformed. Thousands of men were able to father their own genetic children thanks to ICSI when once they would have had to use donor sperm.
ICSI was soon being used in clinics across the world, and seemed to promise higher success rates than normal IVF. Some doctors no longer use it just for male fertility problems, but are also suggesting it for older couples or in cases of unexplained infertility. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting in Barcelona was told that ICSI is being used twice as often as IVF, despite the fact that it is far more expensive. What's more worrying, it doesn't actually improve the chances of success unless there is a male factor problem, so many people are paying more unnecessarily.
Some countries use ICSI far more than others. In the UK we have a relatively low ICSI rate, along with the Nordic countries, but in Greece, Italy and Spain it has become incredibly popular. You can read more on the subject on the ESHRE website
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