In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

In the United States, infertility affects approximately 10% of men and women during their reproductive years. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the more common procedures used to help infertile couples conceive.

Procedure

IVF is an example of an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in which a woman's egg is fertilized with a man's sperm in a laboratory. The resulting embryo is then transferred to the woman's uterus to implant and develop naturally.

During the IVF process, female patients receive a course of gonadotropins that stimulate the ovaries to produce several eggs for extraction. Collected eggs are then fertilized in vitro. Successful embryos are incubated and monitored for several days, and are then transferred to the patient. The patient is given additional hormone therapy and monitored for signs that implantation occurred – resulting in pregnancy.

History and Statistics

Since the first successful In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) birth in 1978, the technology has been continually refined by physicians and embryologists, increasing success rates at IVF centers all over the world. Today, the possibility of an IVF pregnancy being achieved has improved from practically nil to a national average of approximately 40%, depending on a patient's age and medical history.

Review DVIF&G's IVF success statistics here.