The £100 condom that helps you GET pregnant could spare thousands the misery of IVF
The device delivers three times more sperm to a woman's cervix than sex alone, and has helped 150 couples have a baby
A 'FERTILITY condom’ has helped hundreds of couples become pregnant, experts have revealed.
The Stork helps women get sperm as near as possible their cervix after sex – and could spare many couples the financial and emotional misery of IVF.
The device, which is bought in pharmacies and can be used at home, uses clinically proven technology to optimise the odds of conception.
So far, it has resulted in at least 150 confirmed births since it became available in the UK.
This weekend, new data will be being presented at the Fertility Show by women’s health expert Dr Catherine Hood.
It follows a clinical trial which showed The Stork increased sperm scores by an average of 3.23 times in 85 per cent of couples.
The beauty of this technology is that it is non-invasive, can be performed in the privacy of the couples’ home and is much cheaper than comparable treatment offered by private fertility clinics
Dr Catherine Hood
The Stork is a form of cervical cap insemination which uses a cervical cap to hold sperm close to the cervix to optimise the chance of becoming pregnant.
Cervical cap insemination is a well documented and clinically proven method of fertility treatment with a success rate of up to 20 per cent .
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The stork is a two-part device.
The part on the right is called the Conceptacle. 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.
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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 one clips everything into place, so the cap is held firmly in the applicator.
Now, the cap can be tilted to 45 degrees without any semen falling out.
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 two opens up the device so the cap can be deposited.
Button three releases the cap, leaving a tampon-like string behind so the woman can pull it out later after the four to six hour recommended time window.
The applicator is removed once button three has been pressed.
“The beauty of this technology is that it is non-invasive, can be performed in the privacy of the couples’ home and is much cheaper than comparable treatment offered by private fertility clinics,” Dr Hood said.
Since the technology became available in the UK approximately two years ago, over 150 couples have contacted the manufacturer, The Stork Ib2C, Inc. confirming they have had a baby as a result of using the home-conception device.
HOW DOES THE FERTILITY CONDOM 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.
Dr Hood said: “The real figure may in fact 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 streamlines and simplifies cervical cap insemination by combining a condom-like sheath with a cervical cap to create what is known as a Conceptacle.
Couples using the technology are advised to have sex around their most fertile days and afterwards the condom-like sheath is simply rolled down and off the cervical cap.
The semen-filled cap is then placed in an applicator, similar to those used insert a tampon, to position the cap on the cervix.
The cervical cap is left in place for four to six hours, to enable sperm to swim upwards to fertilise the woman’s egg.
During this time, she is free to go about her day-to-day activities and after the four to six hours has elapsed, the cap can be removed via a string-pull, as a tampon is.
A peer-reviewed clinical trial, published in the journal Surgical Technology International, showed a higher average concentration of sperm at the cervix using The Stork when compared to natural intercourse sperm scores.
The quantity and quality of sperm was analysed using a post-coital sperm assessment which is a standard World Health Organisation protocol. Sperm scores were assessed after couples used The Stork and compared to the same couple’s natural intercourse score.
The results from this clinical study are significant as they show The Stork can deliver three times more sperm to the cervix compared to natural intercourse
Professor Nick Raine-Fenning, a consultant gynaecologist
Professor Nick Raine-Fenning, a consultant gynaecologist and reproductive specialist at Nottingham University Hospital, said: “The results from this clinical study are significant as they show The Stork can deliver three times more sperm to the cervix compared to natural intercourse.
“This could be beneficial for couples experiencing common fertility difficulties such as low sperm count and motility problems.”
Statistics from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority show that male-factor infertility has increased by 31 per cent in the past four years and recent research from the Yale Fertility Centre in the US suggests this is probably because more men are delaying starting a family.
As a result, the latest HFEA figures confirm that one in seven couples has difficulty conceiving.
In the UK, 59 per cent of all fertility treatment is privately funded.
Dr Hood says: “Despite its proven efficacy, fertility clinics no longer provide cervical cap insemination, preferring instead to offer more elaborate and often expensive procedures.
"The closest comparable treatment is intrauterine insemination, or IUI, which costs upward of £700.
“I would advise any couple considering IVF to think about using The Stork first.
"Cervical cap insemination is safe, simple and drug-free.”
The recommended retail price of The Stork, containing one device to be used in one cycle, is £99.99. Suggested use is more than one device used during the fertile window.
The Stork is available at Superdrug.com, Lloydspharmacy.com, Thehealthcounter.com, Pharmacy2U.co.uk and selected Superdrug and Lloyds Pharmacy Stores nationwide.