The data come from the Australia and New Zealand Assisted Reproduction Database (ANZARD) report, which is funded by the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) and contains data from the 95 IVF clinics that operate in the two countries. Preliminary data from the CDC suggests there were 330,773 ART cycles in 2019, resulting in nearly 78,000 live births.
A Closer Look at the Findings
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) medical researchers found that the live birth rate per initiated IVF cycle in women using their own eggs has increased by 18% overall, with the greatest improvements seen in older age groups. For instance, in women ages 35 to 39, the live birth rate per cycle increased from 19% to 23%. In the 40- to 44-year-old age groups, the live birth rate was 10%, representing a 27% increase over the last 10 years. While not all IVF cycles reach the stage of embryo transfer, those that do also show significant improvement compared to previous years. In 2010, the overall live birth rate per embryo transfer was 22%. In 2019, it was 28%. The researchers say the improved success rates are due to many factors, including advancements in laboratory techniques. Improvements in the overall management of couples experiencing infertility, such as lifestyle interventions, improved diagnostic capabilities, and in some cases surgery prior to IVF, have also played a part.
What Is IVF?
During in vitro fertilization (IVF), an egg is combined with sperm outside the body. IVF is one type of assisted reproductive technology (ART), which is a catchall term for treatments that manipulate the sperm or the egg to make pregnancy more likely. “IVF is a first-line treatment for women with blocked fallopian tubes, and for couples where the male has moderate to severely low sperm counts,” says Meaghan Bowling, MD, FACOG, IVF director and director of third-party reproduction at Carolina Conceptions in Raleigh, NC. In addition, IVF is often used in people with unexplained infertility, severe polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that is resistant to medications like clomiphene citrate or letrozole, and endometriosis. “Women of advancing age, and women with low egg count may benefit from going directly to IVF and skipping less successful options such as IUI,” adds Dr. Bowling.
The Emotional Impact of IVF
The new data from Australia and New Zealand will be welcomed by people going through IVF, which can be a long, emotional journey. “Between spending countless hours at the fertility clinic, ultrasounds, bloodwork, and various invasive procedures, it can feel like trying to get pregnant becomes your entire life,” says fertility therapist Ariel Taylor, BSW, RSW. Taylor explains that fertility treatments are still not fully understood and are often stigmatized. “If someone required third-party reproduction like sperm or egg donation or a surrogate, there is even further stigma," she says. “This can all cause challenges in handling the emotional fatigue that goes hand-in-hand with IVF.” Many of Taylor’s clients who are going through IVF report feeling anxious, depressed, worried, or scared. “They may feel like they are running out of time, like they are not meant to have a baby, or that it will never happen for them,” she says. And the worries can be multiple: the high cost of IVF treatments not covered by insurance, the reactions from friends and family, and the struggle to keep going after experiencing recurrent losses. Then there are the ups and downs of hormones, injections, and treatments. “When you throw in a global pandemic which closed clinics, delayed treatments, and refused to allow partners into embryo transfers and ultrasounds, IVF has the potential to create a perfect storm of mental health challenges with very little specialized support to help,” says Taylor. The bottom line is that IVF is hard—much harder than most people realize, and you can’t truly understand it unless you’ve been through it. As Taylor says, there is never any shame in asking for help and getting the support you deserve—you don’t have to go through it alone. A support system of family, close friends, and coworkers can help hold you up on the bad days and celebrate with you on the good days. A good therapist can help you protect your mental health while you go through IVF by helping you manage stress and learn coping strategies around treatments, and set boundaries around who to include on your IVF journey.
