- the procedure takes place during IVF
-  it is often performed for couples that are dealing with male factor infertility and for those who have not had success with IVF in the past
- the ICSI procedure is performed by using a technique called  micromanipulation which uses a special microscope, along with very small surgical tools, to pick up and handle one single sperm, injecting it directly into an egg 
- can be performed with fresh sperm  or the frozen one
- the ICSI procedure can help achieve IVF pregnancy success even when male infertility problems are an issue  
Five main steps:
1. A sperm sample is taken from male partner's semen or surgically extracted from his testes or epididymis.
2. Woman eggs are surgically extracted from her ovaries.
3. With a tiny hollow needle, one sperm is carefully injected into an egg.
4. After injection, the fertilized egg is observed for growth and development.
5. Once normal growth is observed, the embryo is be implanted into uterus 

Side effects
Some potential issues in  ICSI procedures that could arise during the process:
- eggs may become damaged.
- the embryo might fail to grow after the fertilization.
- ICSI process might lead to higher rates of genetic defects compared to other fertility treatments. But, the birth defects most commonly associated with ICSI can usually be fixed with surgery

1.Ovarian stimulation and monitoring - ovaries are stimulated by hormones and the cycle is monitored by ultrasound scans in order to verify that the number and size of the follicles is appropriate

2. Preparation for the semen sample - the male party delivers the semen sample to the laboratory. The delivered partner sample is treated in laboratory to separate the motile sperm and to obtain sufficient concentration to carry out the insemination.

3. Insemination -the sperm sample is loaded into a thin tube and inserted into the uterus for injection. 
- AIH is appropriate when sperm have difficulty reaching the uterus (impotence, poor sperm quality, etc..).