MyFertilityGuide

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an assisted reproductive treatment in which the female gamete or ovum is fertilized with the male gamete or sperm outside of the body. Once fertilization has taken place, the egg is placed directly into the uterus.

Factors to Consider

When deciding whether or not to pursue IVF treatment there are a number of factors to consider. Not everyone is a good candidate for the procedure, but women who possess some or all of the following characteristics might be:

• 35 years of age or less
• Willing to risk having multiple children – about 25 percent of successful IVF treatments result in twins and 2 to 3 percent result in triplets or quadruplets.
• Less than three years of dealing with infertility
• Possibility of undergoing ovulation induction or hormone treatment
• The ability to use your own eggs in the procedure
• Willing to use the eggs now as opposed to after cryopreservation (freezing)

IVF and Donation

If it is impossible for the female partner to produce eggs regularly or the male partner has issues with erectile dysfunction or abnormal sperm with low motility, it is still possible to conceive via IVF through the use of donated eggs and/or sperm.

Egg Donation

If a woman has anovulation—does not ovulate monthly—or irregular periods, irregular ovulation, or blocked fallopian tubes, then egg donation in combination with IVF is an option. Similarly, women with genetic diseases that they could possibly pass on to future generations may also opt for egg donation and IVF.

The egg donor may be a friend of the family or an anonymous donor and—if the recipient takes estrogen and the donor takes ovulation induction medication—the two can synchronize their cycles and the donor will ovulate at the same time the recipient will be prepared to receive the eggs. Ideally, the eggs will be transferred from donor to recipient as soon as possible.

The sperm provider will produce a sample within hours of the egg harvest and the doctors will fertilize the egg and transfer it to the recipient’s uterus within 48 hours.

Sperm Donation

If the male partner has low sperm count, erectile dysfunction or is nonexistent, then a woman can use a sperm donation. Again, she may know the sperm donor or use an anonymous donation. Sometimes frozen sperm will be used if it was banked in advance in anticipation of procreation in later life.

Success Rate

The success rate for IVF depends upon the age of the recipient, whether or not she uses her own eggs and whether or not the eggs are freshly harvested or have been frozen and preserved. However, the successful rate of pregnancy is similar to that of conventionally conceived pregnancies: 37 percent for women 35 years old and under, 28 percent for women between the ages of 36 and 39, and 13 percent for women over the age of 40.