IVF success rates are usually measured by correlating the number of positive results – either the number of clinical pregnancies or of live births – to the number of the fertility procedures carried out. The rates are expressed in percentages and are used to provide generic information about how efficient the procedure or the clinic that performed it is.
If these success rates are to be interpreted correctly, we need to include individual factors that influence the figures as well. Here are three of the most significant of these individual factors that can influence the success rates of IVF. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
IVF Success Rate Based on Age
It is a generally accepted fact that a woman’s chance to take a pregnancy to term decreases with her advancement in age. The tendency is similar in the case of IVF as well: success rates for women under 35 are between 30% and 35%, going down to 25% for the age group of 35-37 and further decreasing to 15-20% between the ages of 38 and 40 to 6-10% for ladies in their forties.
However, today, many women give birth to healthy babies in their forties – even in their fifties. Actually, there are fertility clinics which have considerable experience in providing successful IVF solutions for women in their 50s.
IVF Success Rate Based on Cause of Infertility
Infertility can be male and female-related. Female-related infertility rates are as high as 50%, male related causes account for 25% of infertility cases, while 25% of cases are unexplained.
Female related infertility can be caused by numerous physical conditions, the most common being fallopian tube disorders, endometriosis, ovulation dysfunctions, PCOS and elevated levels of prolactin, while the most common causes for male infertility are problems related to the quantity, the quality or the delivery of the sperm and damages caused by environmental factors, traumas or cancer treatment.
IVF Success Rate Based on Donor Eggs
IVF procedures performed with donor eggs usually show higher success rates than the procedures using the patient’s own egg due to the simple fact that donor eggs are tested more thoroughly and are healthier. Success rates for IVF with a donor egg show very good figures in the case of women aged 38 and up – even higher than for women under 35 using their own eggs for IVF.
Calculating and interpreting IVF success rates is complicated and depends on numerous factors, but these figures are useful tools for evaluating the statistics published by fertility clinics and they can help infertile couples choose the clinic that is most suitable for their requirements.
