A £100 ‘condom’ has helped hundreds of couple become parents just two years after its launch, figures released for the first time show.
Experts have revealed the success rate of the over-the-counter device, which does the exact opposite of what condoms are usually used for, is around 20 per cent – almost as effective as IVF. But the device, called The Stork, costs £100 in the UK which is £4,900 less than a cycle of IVF in the UK and at $80 it is considerably less than IVF in the US where cycles cost about $12,000. Figures show the conception kit, which uses a cap with a condom-like device to hold sperm close to the cervix, has helped 150 British couples become parents since its launch. The device is also sold in the US and has been available in Australia since last year – helping couples worldwide. However, experts believe this figure could be much higher as many parents are unwilling to come forward and share their experiences.
Women’s health expert Dr Catherine Hood, who is presenting the new data at the London Fertility Show, said: ‘The real figure is likely to be much higher as infertility is often an intensely private and personal subject and this data is based purely on couples who voluntarily contacted the company.’I suspect a systematic follow-up would reveal many more success stories.
The Stork uses intracervical insemination to boost the chances of a women becoming pregnant. It works by first collecting semen into a cervical cap, which is located at the bottom of a condom-like sheath worn by the man during intercourse. An applicator then delivers the cap containing the semen to the entrance of the cervix which is left there for between four and six hours. Experts say this allows the sperm to swim upwards to fertilise the woman’s egg. While in place, women can go about their usual day-to-day activities before removing it in the same way they would dispose of a tampon. It is recommended that The Stork be used just before and/or during ovulation.
The Stork is available at selected Superdrug and Lloyds Pharmacy stores in the UK and a range of websites. Plenty of women have revealed their delight at becoming pregnant after using the device. On the product’s website, a reviewer known as Jennifer, from Canada, said she was ‘over the moon’ after becoming pregnant from just one try.
While an Australian woman called Marijana said The Stork made her dream of having a child ‘a reality’. Dr Hood explained the closest comparable treatment is intrauterine insemination, which costs upward of £700. She added: ‘The beauty of this technology is that it is non-invasive, can be performed in the privacy of the couple’s home and is much cheaper than comparable treatment offered by private fertility clinics. Despite its proven efficacy, fertility clinics no longer provide cervical cap insemination, preferring instead to offer more elaborate and often expensive procedures.’ Previous research has found one in seven couples in the UK has difficulty conceiving, with many turning to IVF.
NICE recommend the NHS should provide up to three cycles of fertility treatment – but its guidelines are not mandatory. As a result, many cash-strapped Clinical Commissioning Groups are now refusing to provide the treatment – leading many to seek private options.
HOW DOES THE STORK WORK?
At the start of the process, the couple have sex using a condom (made of silicon) that has a cervical cap at the end of it.
This cap collects the sperm when the man ejaculates.
Afterwards the condom is pulled off as a normal condom would be and the cap is removed.
The woman then uses the applicator device to inset the cap of semen into her vagina and up to the cervix – to give her the higher chance of conception possible.
She puts the cap into the holder at the top.
Plunger button 1 clips everything into place, so the cap is held firmly in the applicator.
The woman then puts the applicator inside her vagina and when she feels a bit of pressure, she has reached the entrance to the cervix.
Pressing button 2 opens up the device so the cap can be deposited.
Button 3 releases the cap, leaving a tampon-like string behind so the woman can pull it out later after the 4-6 hour recommended time window.
The applicator is removed once button 3 has been pressed.
SOURCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/