Today, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is practically a household word.
But not so long ago, it was a mysterious procedure for infertility that produced what were then known as
"test-tube babies." Louise Brown, born in England in 1978, was the
first such baby to be conceived outside her mother's womb.
Unlike the simpler process of artificial
insemination -- in
which sperm is
placed in the uterus and conception happens otherwise normally -- IVF
involves combining eggs and sperm outside the body in a laboratory. Once an
embryo or embryos form, they are then placed in the uterus. IVF is a complex
and expensive procedure; only about 5% of couples with infertility seek it out. However, since its
introduction in the U.S. in 1981, IVF and other similar techniques have
resulted in more than 200,000 babies.
What Causes of Infertility Can IVF Treat?
When it comes to infertility, IVF may be an
option if you or your partner have been diagnosed with:
- Endometriosis
- Low
sperm counts
- Problems with the uterus
or Fallopian tubes
- Problems with ovulation
- Antibody problems that
harm sperm or eggs
- The inability of sperm
to penetrate or survive in the cervical mucus
- An unexplained fertility problem
IVF is never the first step in the treatment
of infertility. Instead, it's reserved for cases in which other methods such as fertility
drugs, surgery, and artificial insemination haven't worked.
If you think that IVF might make sense for
you, carefully assess any treatment center before undergoing the procedure.
Here are some questions to ask the staff at the fertility clinic:
- What is your pregnancy ratio
per embryo transfer?
- What is your pregnancy
rate for couples in our age group and with our fertility problem?
- What is the live birth
rate for all couples who undergo this procedure each year at your
facility?
- How many of those
deliveries are twins or other multiple births?
- How much will the
procedure cost, including the cost of the hormone treatments?
- How much does it cost to
store embryos and how long can we store them?
- Do you participate in an
egg donation program?