5 things to know about IVF Treatment

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

IVF or in vitreo fertilization is a method to treat infertility worldwide. As we all know all that infertility is a common modern day problem which means when you are unable to conceive naturally despite of one year of trying. As you age your fertility levels will decline and then you opt for IVF treatment to conceive So, it is very important to know things about IVF treatment before jumping into it: 

1. When women's and men’s fertility really starts to fall

First and foremost you should know about the time or age when a woman's fertility starts to drop dramatically. It starts declining from the age of 30 onwards. Diminishing egg numbers along with diminishing egg quality is also one issue. A simple blood test, known as AMH, will tell a woman if she has a normal number of eggs for her age but tells us little about the quality of the eggs remaining. On the other hand, men's fertility can also reduce with age. While women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, men are continually producing new sperm. However, as men age, the quality of the genes in their sperm deteriorates from 40 onwards. 

2. Success rate of IVF treatment 

There are ‘N’ numbers of fertility clinics and infertility specialists in the world and many have achieved the highest success rates in IVF in the world. However, an individual couple's chance of success depends on a number of factors such as the cause of infertility, age and lifestyle. As a general guide, there is a 50 percent chance of conception per IVF treatment if aged under 30. This goes down to a 20 percent chance for your first IVF treatment over the age of 40. 

3. Cost of IVF treatment

Infertility is increasing at a fast paced and IVF is becoming a common option for all. So, as a result IVF has become more affordable in India than in other

developed countries. It is just 1/5th of the costs outside India with success rate at par with the world. 

4. Risks involved in IVF treatment

IVF has been around for more than 30 years. It is a very safe procedure, with no long-term risks to mother or child. The most serious medical complication is Ovulation Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), affecting one percent of women. It occurs when a woman over-responds to hormone treatment and produces too many eggs. However, the lower drug doses used nowadays mean that this is much less common. In addition, specialists have become much better at predicting which women are at risk of OHSS, and the medical profession is well trained in recognizing and managing symptoms. 

5. There are no guarantees 

Last but not least you should know that IVF is a highly effective treatment in overcoming many causes of infertility such as low-sperm count, blocked fallopian tubes and PCOS but there are no guarantees. Around 70% to 80% of couples achieve pregnancy with IVF. Counseling has helped thousands of people come to terms with a life without a hoped for family and counseling is recommended when couples face the difficult decision to stop treatment.