How Do IVF Treatments Work?
Infertility treatments had come a long way since the 1970s when they first became available to the general public. In about 80 percent of the couples who are infertile, the cause is an ovulation problem, a blockage of the fallopian tubes, or a sperm-related reason. In approximately 20 percent of the cases, the cause of infertility is unknown. There are multiple ways to treat infertility, with in vitro fertilization being the most common of them. The first so-called “test-tube baby,” Louise Brown, was born in the UK in 1978.
A selection of IVF hormone bottles and syringes are seen, at the Science Museum on July 23, 2018, in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Unlike in the case of artificial insemination, during which conception usually happens except for the fact that the sperm is placed in the uterus via a medical procedure, IFV requires the egg and sperm to be combined outside the body in a laboratory. Once one or more embryos are formed, they are placed inside the woman’s uterus to develop. Because IVF is an expensive and complicated procedure, only 5 percent of couples that are infertile try it. Since its introduction in the United States in 1981, more than 200,000 babies were born via IVF.