In vitro fertilization is a commonly performed fertility treatment that has helped countless couples and individuals achieve their goal of conceiving. Despite its fanfare and the hype surrounding the procedure, however, it does not guarantee success to patients. In fact, depending on certain factors, the success rate for in vitro fertilization, or IVF for short, can be as low as 10% to 20%. For women over the age of 35, the success rate often drops.
That's not saying that many couples have not enjoyed success on their first IVF session. You shouldn't have to look very hard for stories on the internet or from friends or friends of friends to find a first-try success story. While it is possible to have a successful IVF session on the first go-around, it is important to approach the procedure with realistic expectations.
You'll also hear stories of couples who tried several other fertility treatments such as intrauterine insemination and fertility drugs before they moved on to IVF and had success on the first try. If male factor infertility is a problem, intracytoplasmic insemination, which involves directly injecting a mature egg with a sperm, may help to improve the chances that the IVF cycle will be a success. Embryo selection may also help to improve the chance of success, as this involves selecting embryos that have the highest likelihood of developing.
Unfortunately, there really is no good answer for the question posed in the title. The answer is so variable depending on the individual circumstances of each couple that to suggest a number would not be fair and may raise expectations for some, and lower them for others. Nonetheless, this is a popular question that is best left for your fertility doctor after an examination and analysis of both partners' fertility.
What we can say, is that women under the age of 35 tend to have a higher success rate, and opting for embryo selection has helped many couples. If male infertility factor is a non-issue, the chances may also be higher, although the female's own fertility health is also obviously very important.
The reason for the question's popularity is often directly related to the high price tag of IVF. Many choose to freeze their unused embryos (only a few are transferred to the uterus to cut down on the risk of multiple births) for use in future IVF cycles. This may take the price a bit lower on future cycles, but it is still rather high.
