Contraception and Fertility Treatment
Get to grips with Contraception and Fertility Treatment for GCSE Biology with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style questions with worked answers for AQA, Edexcel and OCR. Compare hormonal and non-hormonal methods of contraception, and understand IVF as a treatment for infertility.
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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.
Topic overview
Fertility can be controlled by hormonal and non-hormonal methods of contraception, and hormones can also be used to increase fertility.
Hormonal methods include the oral contraceptive pill, which contains hormones inhibiting FSH production so no eggs mature. Injections, implants and skin patches release slow-acting progesterone, which inhibits egg maturation and release for months or years.
Non-hormonal methods include barrier methods such as condoms and diaphragms, intrauterine devices, spermicides, abstinence and surgical sterilisation. Condoms are the only method that also prevents transmission of sexually transmitted infections, which is a point worth remembering.
Revision notes
Hormonal contraception
The oral contraceptive pill contains hormones that inhibit FSH production, so no eggs mature.
Injection, implant or skin patch: slow-release progesterone inhibits the maturation and release of eggs for months or years.
Non-hormonal contraception
Barrier methods such as condoms and diaphragms prevent sperm reaching the egg.
Intrauterine devices prevent implantation of an embryo or release a hormone. Spermicides kill or disable sperm. Abstaining when an egg may be in the oviduct, and surgical sterilisation, are also methods.
Increasing fertility
FSH and LH can be given in a fertility drug to stimulate egg maturation and release.
In IVF, FSH and LH stimulate the maturation of several eggs, which are collected and fertilised in a laboratory. Embryos are grown and one or two are inserted into the uterus.
Key points
- The pill inhibits FSH so no eggs mature.
- Implants and injections release slow-acting progesterone.
- Barrier methods prevent sperm reaching the egg.
- Condoms also prevent transmission of infections.
- FSH and LH can be given as fertility drugs.
- IVF fertilises eggs outside the body.
Worked examples
Example 1
Explain how the oral contraceptive pill prevents pregnancy. [2 marks]
Model answer
It contains hormones that inhibit the production of FSH (1 mark), so no eggs mature and none can be fertilised (1 mark).
Example 2
Describe the main stages of IVF treatment. [4 marks]
Model answer
The mother is given FSH and LH to stimulate the maturation of several eggs (1 mark). The eggs are collected from the mother and fertilised by sperm from the father in a laboratory (1 mark). The fertilised eggs develop into embryos (1 mark), and at the stage when they are tiny balls of cells, one or two are inserted into the mother's uterus (1 mark).
Example 3
Give one advantage of using condoms rather than the contraceptive pill. [1 mark]
Model answer
Condoms also prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, which the pill does not (1 mark).
Common mistakes
Saying the pill kills sperm.
It prevents eggs maturing by inhibiting FSH. Spermicides kill sperm.
Confusing IVF with fertility drugs.
Fertility drugs stimulate ovulation in the body; IVF fertilises eggs outside it.
Forgetting the STI advantage of condoms.
It is the standard answer when comparing barrier and hormonal methods.
Giving IVF stages out of order.
Hormones, collect eggs, fertilise in lab, grow embryos, insert one or two.
Exam tips
- Learn the pill's mechanism precisely — inhibiting FSH.
- Give the IVF stages in order and match them to the marks.
- Mention STI prevention when comparing methods.
- Distinguish hormonal from non-hormonal methods clearly.
Key terms
- Contraception
- A method of preventing pregnancy.
- Barrier method
- Contraception that physically prevents sperm reaching the egg.
- IVF
- In vitro fertilisation, in which eggs are fertilised outside the body.
- Spermicide
- A substance that kills or disables sperm.
Related topics
Written and reviewed against the current AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications. Spotted an error? Let us know.