IN vitro fertilisation (IVF) was first used in the 1970s.

It works by adding a man's sperm to his partner's eggs in the laboratory to produce embryos.

After being in an incubator for three to five days, these embryos are put back into the woman's uterus (womb) in the hope that they will grow into a baby.

Reasons for using IVF include poor sperm quality and sperm-egg interaction problems.