If you have been unable to conceive and are now dealing with a diagnosis of infertility, then you might be wondering how successful ART, or Assisted Reproductive Technology, really is.
What is Assisted Reproductive Technology?
ART, or Assisted Reproductive Technology, is a term that refers to various methods that are used to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means.
Assisted Reproductive Technology premiered in 1983 with the first In Vitro birth, and it now accounts for over 30,000 live births every year.
How Many Different Types of ART are There?
There are several different ART methods at present:
- IVF or In Vitro Fertilization
- ICSI or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
- GIFT or Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer
- ZIFT or Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer
Success rates for Assisted Reproductive Technology vary and depend on many different factors. Some factors that are known to affect the success rate of ART include:
- Age of the partners
- Reason for infertility
- Fertility clinic
- Type of ART
- If the egg is fresh or frozen
- If the embryo is fresh or frozen
The Center for Disease Control, or CDC, collects success rates on Assisted Reproductive Technology for quite a few fertility clinics. According to the 2007 CDC report on ART, the average percentage of Assisted Reproductive Technology cycles that used fresh nondonor eggs and led to a healthy live birth were as follows:
- 40.9% in women aged 25
- 39.5% in women aged 30
- 33.4% in women aged 35
- 15.4% in women aged 40
Assisted Reproductive Technology can be both expensive and time-consuming.
But ART has helped many couples to have children that would have otherwise been unable to conceive.
As is evident from the statistics, the age of the mother plays a key role in success of Assisted Reproductive Technology. This is why women who are younger than 35 are advised to try for approximately 12 months to conceive before seeing a fertility specialist, while women over the age of 35 are advised to try to get pregnant for only six months before seeking medical help.
Assisted Reproductive Technology can be a dream come true for infertile couples!
Frequently Asked Questions About Assisted Reproductive Technology
Infertility: There is Hope Through Assisted Reproductive Technology
Infertility: Use of Assisted Reproductive Techniques on the Rise!
Factors That May Affect Reproductive Performance Part 1
Comments on this entry are closed.