ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) is a specialised form of IVF, most often used to address male-factor infertility. If a semen analysis has raised concerns about sperm count, motility, or shape, ICSI may be part of the conversation your specialist has with you.
ICSI is a laboratory technique in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg, rather than leaving fertilisation to happen on its own in a dish (as in conventional IVF). It's performed as part of an IVF cycle, using eggs retrieved in the same way as standard IVF.
| Conventional IVF | ICSI | |
|---|---|---|
| Fertilisation method | Sperm and egg combined, fertilisation occurs naturally in the dish | A single sperm is injected directly into the egg |
| Typically used for | Normal or near-normal semen parameters | Low sperm count, poor motility, abnormal morphology, or previous fertilisation failure |
ICSI is commonly recommended when a semen analysis shows:
ICSI follows the same overall structure as IVF — ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer — with one key difference at the fertilisation stage: an embryologist selects a single healthy-looking sperm and injects it directly into each mature egg under a microscope, rather than combining sperm and eggs and waiting for fertilisation to occur naturally.
Outcomes with ICSI depend on egg quality, sperm quality (even when a single sperm is selected), and the same broader factors that influence any IVF cycle, such as age and uterine receptivity. ICSI improves the chances of fertilisation in cases of male-factor infertility — it does not guarantee pregnancy, and your specialist will explain this distinction clearly.
ICSI carries the same general risks as IVF (see our IVF page for a full overview). Some patients ask about broader effects of ICSI on the mother or on child health; this is a fair question, and current understanding is that ICSI's additional risks, beyond those of IVF itself, are generally considered low — but this is worth discussing directly with your specialist, who can address your specific concerns.
Book a consultation to discuss your semen analysis results and whether ICSI is the right approach.
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