A TTC journey is filled with making important decisions- and they aren’t easy. So, does IVF work?
“Should I opt for IVF?”
“Do I adopt?”
“Should I keep trying before I visit the doctor?”
“Do I try another IVF cycle?”
It isn’t like deciding between cookie dough or rocky road in the ice cream aisle. Being decisive isn’t easy. That’s why it’s so important that you have all the information you need! Knowledge is literally power. One of the things that might help you is knowing the success rate of IVF work, how it works and of course- does IVF work?
Image by Sarah Pflug
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) have come a long way. Embryologists and lab technicians know how to maximize the chances of success for your IVF cycle. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers some statistics to support that! In 2018, The CDC reports that 306,197 ART cycles were performed by 456 reporting clinics in the U.S.A. This number did not include 8 cycles in which a new treatment procedure was being evaluated. This resulted in 73,831 live births (deliveries of one or more living infants) and 81,478 live born infants. Of the 306,197 ART cycles performed in 2018, 103,078 were performed using egg or embryo banking cycles where resulting eggs or embryos are frozen for later use.
Image by Society For Assisted Reproductive Technology
Now it’s time for some graphs and figures! Take a look at these graphs provided by the Society For Reproductive Technologies. It shows that the liveborn delivery rate for IVF was around 35%! In 1985 that was only 5%. This could only mean we will continue to see a rise in success rates of IVF.
Image by Society For Assisted Reproductive Technology
ART hasn’t been around since the old ages. It is relatively new! Nevertheless, the CDC reports the usage of ART doubling in the last decade! In 2018, 1.9% of all infants were conceived with the help of ART! That might seem like a small number, but keep in mind that this percentage is of the whole infant population in the U.S.A and that not every couple experiences infertility or requires the use of ART.
A long way.
Today there are countless fertility clinics and apps that are ready to help someone who wishes to have a little bundle of joy! One of those apps is our very own ART Compass! When clinics use our app, they have access to amazing quality control and quality assurance measures that could be used in their lab! Embryologists are given tools via ART Compass to help them make the best decisions to create your baby! In other words, ART Compass offers services that can help an IVF cycle be more organized and easier to handle for embryologists.
After all, a patient’s data is all in one place! That makes the job of the physician easier as well. Lastly, there’s you- the patient! Have your IVF cycle’s data all in one place! Not only that, but view your cryostorage inventory. That’s simply how many eggs or embryos you have been frozen at the moment! With such apps out there making everyone’s jobs easier, it reduces the risk of error throughout the process. With greater accuracy and precision, there is almost bound to be better results!
Wrapping it up
In simplest terms, IVF and ART, in general, are great options to explore when deciding what your next step on your TTC journey should be. However, we always stress this- there are many factors that play into whether a specific form of ART may be the best choice for you. These include age, medical history, family history, expenses, and more. Every individual is different. And if there’s one thing we know, it’s that ART is certainly not a one size fits all! Make sure you talk to your doctor and seek their opinion on what may be some of the best options.
Something else I would recommend is to take some time in reading people’s IVF success stories or experiences. It might help you understand what it was like going through IVF and whether it’s something you want to pursue. No one understands each other better than the TTC Tribe! There are many blogs out there that most people’s IVF stories in order for their voices to be heard. While it may not be a medical expert’s opinion, it’s a story that’s being shared by a fellow TTC Tribe member. Listening to what they found difficult, interesting, or joyful will help you paint a better picture as to what experiencing an IVF cycle may be like. Does IVF work?
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Pooja is the content manager at ART Compass and works on the blog and social media content. She is an undergraduate student at Drew University pursuing a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and minors in Business and Sociology. She has undertaken a literary research project on stem cell treatments for multiple sclerosis and wishes to continue stem cell research during her time at Drew. She is an associate member of the Tri-Beta Biology Honors Society and volunteers on an EMS squad and at the Red Cross. She hopes to attend medical school in the future.
