Understanding Infertility and IVF Options

Infertility

Unable to get pregnant after 1 year of trying.

Miscarriage

Sudden loss of pregnancy before week 20.

IUI

Intra uterine insemination.

IVF

Fertilization that occurs 'in glass' (a petri dish/test tube); outside the body.

Success Rate of IVF

Between 20-30% per round; over 40 years old = 12%.

Cost of IVF

$8000-21,000 per round in GA.

Cryopreservation of Embryos

Freezing techniques can store 'good' embryos for many years.

Viability of Frozen Embryos

Once thawed, over 95% will survive and implant just as well as they would have when they were 'fresh'.

Oldest Embryo

Thawed out and implanted after 30 years of being frozen and healthy twins were born.

Extra Embryos Options

Use them to have more babies, discard them, continue to keep them frozen, or donate them for scientific research.

Embryo Adoption

Donate them to others who are looking to have children but are unable to create their own embryos.

Blastocyst

IVF embryos are 5-8 days old; undifferentiated mass of cells that has not implanted in the uterus wall.

Complications of Miscarriage

Incomplete miscarriage, hemorrhage, infections, septic miscarriage, severe pain, damage to uterus.

Percentage of Pregnancies Ending in Miscarriage

Between 10-30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage.

Causes of Female Infertility

Increased age of reproduction, hormonal issues, stress, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, blocked oviducts, disorders of sexual development, polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Causes of Male Infertility

Low sperm count, abnormal sperm, erectile dysfunction, age of reproduction, smoking, alcohol, drugs, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, exposure to pollutants, injury/illness, pornography addiction, anxiety and depression.

Risk Factors for Multiple Miscarriages

Infection, environmental exposures, hormonal irregularities, improper implantation, increased maternal age, uterine abnormalities, immune disorders, heart disease, diabetes, malnutrition, embryo not viable due to chromosomal or genetic abnormalities.

Percentage of Women Struggling with Infertility

1 out of 5 women, 20% struggle with infertility.

Percentage of Couples Struggling with Infertility

1 out of 8 couples struggle with infertility.

Average Percentage of US Men Experiencing Infertility

On average, 15% of US men experience infertility.

Embryo Storage Cost

$200-1000 per year to store.

Reasons IVF is Expensive

Involves many hormone injections, invasive procedures, growth of embryo in lab, and implantation.

Frozen Embryos Temperature

Embryos are frozen in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -1960C.

Legal Status of IVF Embryos

In 2020 in Alabama, access to IVF was stopped and IVF embryos were ruled 'children'.