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Your guide to in-vitro fertilization
In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a common form of assisted reproductive technology (ART), accounting for over 99% of all ART procedures. It’s a complex and emotional process, but millions of people around the world have started their families in this way.
DID YOU KNOW?
8 million IVF babies have been born worldwide over the past 40 years*
*European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. ScienceDaily. 3 July 2018.
How it works
IVF includes many different stages involving a range of specialists over a 4- to 6-week period. First medication will be prescribed to stimulate the woman’s ovaries in order to grow multiple eggs. Her eggs will then be retrieved and fertilized in the lab with sperm. Embryologists in the lab will monitor the embryos for a short period of time before placing the best embryo(s) back into the woman’s uterus.
Who it’s for
IVF may be a good choice if you have:
- Ovulation disorders
- Endometriosis
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes
- Sperm impairment, such as low sperm count
- Unexplained infertility
Be sure to speak to your healthcare provider to see if IVF may be right for you and about concerns you may have.
Possible side effects*
Because IVF is a multi-step process, there’s a higher risk of side effects from treatment, including:
- Nausea, mood swings, fatigue, breast tenderness, increased vaginal discharge, or ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome from fertility medications
- Pelvic or abdominal pain, injury to organs near the ovaries, or pelvic infection from egg retrieval
- Mild cramping, spotting, or infection from embryo transfer
- Increased chance of getting pregnant with multiples (twins, triplets, or more), which can have health risks for both the mother and babies
The chance of multiples in IVF depends on how many embryos are transferred. Most women give birth to one baby, about 25% give birth to twins, and 1% give birth to triplets or higher multiples.
*This may not represent all side effects. Please discuss with your healthcare provider.
Success rates
For most people, IVF is more successful than the 20% chance a healthy 30-year-old woman has of conceiving each month. However, it’s important to remember that many factors can influence the chances of IVF working, such as your age and whether you have any other medical conditions.
Success rates are higher for younger women. For women using their own fresh eggs in 2023, the chances of having a baby on the first embryo transfer were as follows*:
| AGE OF WOMEN | LIVE BIRTHS |
|---|---|
| <35 | 35.5% |
| 35-37 | 26.4% |
| 38-40 | 17.3% |
| 41-42 | 8.8% |
| >42 | 2.8% |
Data based on SART 2023 Preliminary National Summary Report, accessed April 30, 2025.
It can be disheartening if a treatment cycle does not work on the first attempt, but cycles can vary, increasing your chance of success next time. This is because:
- Your doctor can tailor medications based on your previous response to treatment
- More eggs, or healthier eggs, may be produced during a different cycle
- You may be able to adapt treatment using frozen or donor sperm and/or eggs
A large, UK-based study of more than 150,000 women who underwent more than 250,000 IVF cycles between 2003 and 2010 found that the rate of pregnancy increased with each additional round of IVF, with 30% of women conceiving after 1 cycle, and 45% conceiving after 3 cycles.†
*Cycle success is measured by the live birth rate, with a singleton delivery occurring after 37 weeks of gestation being the optimal outcome of an IVF cycle. The percentage of triplet, twin, and singleton births contributing to the live birth rate is provided in the report for each cycle group and type of transfer, along with a summation of all deliveries (singletons and multiple births).
†Smith A, Tilling K, Nelson S, et al. Live-birth rate associated with repeat in vitro fertilization treatment cycles. JAMA. 2015;314(24):2654-2662.
