In Vitro Fertilization has proved to be a boon for many who have given it a chance. Over 5 million babies have been conceived with the help of this Assisted Reproductive Technology since its inception in 1978.
However, there’s still a long way to go before people start seeing it for what it is – a potentially beneficial surgical procedure with plausible risks involved.
Having been around for only four decades, IVF is still a relatively new procedure. However, many of the fears and concerns have remained since that era. Like any technology, IVF continues to evolve as scientists through further study reduce the risks and side-effects involved every year.
How Likely Is IVF To Help You Have A Child?
The rate of successful pregnancies from IVFs resulting in live births (according to the 2014 report from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology) was 18{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} for women aged 41 and 42. And although an IVF success rate of 5{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} doesn’t seem like a big number, it still provides a chance for a woman beyond her menopause to experience pregnancy.
It is natural for women to experience decreased fertility rates with age. From ages 30 and 40, a woman’s chances of conception fall to half her peak. A woman of 40 is four times less likely to conceive each month than she would have been a decade earlier.
Out of all ART techniques, IVF is the most successful. Even if a pregnancy is not achieved in the first cycle, the process can be repeated. Your doctor can find out how your body specifically responds to treatment to ensure things go better the next time around.
Other Advantages Of IVF
With IVF, your doctor can examine a few cells of your embryo to check for genetic diseases before implantation, through the process of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Although the ethics of this practice is debated, with it, you can have peace of mind knowing that your baby will be healthy and won’t have to deal with a life-altering debility.
In case your first cycle of IVF doesn’t go as planned, healthy embryos from a PGD can be cryogenically preserved, so you have the option of attempting again.
The Controversy Over IVF
Ethical issues with IVF are widely prevalent. Many debate that making in vitro fertilization mainstream will put more pressure on women to become pregnant. Some religious bodies believe it is morally wrong, including the Church, which believes any method of conception other than intercourse between a man and a woman prevents reciprocal and responsible love.
Becoming pregnant is a mutual decision between two partners which should only be influenced by their desire to create life and experience it together. Any question of coercion is a sign of an unhealthy relationship. IVF is only a means to procreate.
A couple unable to have children naturally have as much a right to be called parents, whatever their orientation or sexuality may be.
The stigma against IVF continues to decrease as it is accepted by more and more couples wishing to get pregnant. On average, one couple out of every six face problems with fertility around the world. With IVF, one day every couple will be able to experience the wonders of childbirth.
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