Artificial insemination is a breeding method that is said to help address infertility in men and women, where sperm is inserted directly to a female Fallopian tube, cervix or uterus, allowing it to travel shortly and bypass any likely obstructions and preferably making pregnancy achievable where it was previously not possible. Even if pregnancy rates in this method are observed to be higher compared with other more advanced procedures, giving it some advantages, it still does not come without some disadvantages. Here are the pros and cons of artificial insemination:
List of Pros of Artificial Insemination
1. It makes breeding easy and is cost-effective.
The modern technology that is used in this procedure could make it easier and a lot simpler for us to perform careful breeding, as it allows the transfer of semen from a donor to faraway places with ease. It is also cost-effective in a way that sperm cells are preserved, enabling the ability to save money and resources in order to create a huge repository for them.
2. It allows for genetic preservation.
Remember that the lack of genetic diversity can lead to certain species becoming extinct if they are not preserved. One good way to avoid this problem is keeping a lot of preserved sperm from various animals to be able to keep a huge collection of genetic details.
3. It presents the capability to freeze sperm.
The ability of male animals’ semen to stay alive longer will enable us to preserve their sperm by freezing with the use of nitrogen for a longer period of time. That is why we no longer have to worry if it would take a certain period of time to wait for someone who would need it.
4. It makes remote mating possible.
Artificial insemination allows the transfer of semen over a distance and enables organisms living far away to be mated without even being transported. This means that this method can save time and money, as there will be no need travel and carry a lot of things.
List of Cons of Artificial Insemination
1. It disturbs species and disrupts their natural habits.
The act of extracting sperm from male animals normally requires an individual to hold these animals, which means that they will be disturbed. This will create a negative impact, especially when subject animals are living in their natural habitats. Also, conserving sperm by freezing can be used as an exemption to destroy the animals’ natural way of impregnation.
2. It is not effective in other species.
While many animals have successfully adapted to artificial insemination, not all of them will have positive reactions to this method. It is not that often effective even in humans.
3. It requires the use of anesthetics.
To be able to calm animals down when subjected to this procedure, there will be a need to use anesthesia on them, which would affect their ability to react to particular conditions, such as semen extraction.
As a whole, artificial insemination offers positive results to others, but it could also fail to provide the desired results to others. That is why it is very important to weigh down its pros and cons before deciding to undergo this procedure.
Brandon Miller has a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a seasoned writer who has written over one hundred articles, which have been read by over 500,000 people. If you have any comments or concerns about this blog post, then please contact the Green Garage team here.