What are the advantages and disadvantages of IVF?

IVF offers the major advantage of enabling pregnancy in cases of infertility caused by blocked tubes, male factor issues, or unexplained infertility. It provides hope for couples struggling to conceive naturally and increases the chances of achieving a successful pregnancy.

Another advantage of IVF is the possibility of genetic testing before embryo transfer. This ensures the selection of healthy embryos, reducing the risk of inherited conditions and improving implantation rates, while also allowing fertility preservation through embryo freezing.

However, IVF has disadvantages, including high costs, emotional stress, and the physical burden of treatment. The process involves multiple injections, monitoring, and procedures, which can be challenging for patients both physically and psychologically.

There are also medical risks such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, multiple pregnancies, or failed cycles. These risks require careful management, and personalized treatment plans help minimize complications while improving IVF outcomes.

How is IVF done?

IVF involves taking mature eggs out of the ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm in the embryology laboratory. After fertilization, the fertilized eggs are cultured in dishes and kept warm in incubators. The embryos divide and grow 3 to 6 days in the lab, the best quality embryo is then chosen and transferred tothe uterus. IVF cycles last for around three weeks in total. When these processes are divided into separate steps, the process can sometimes take longer.

What are the advantages of IVF?

IVF helps many patients who have no other choice  to conceive. The biggest advantage of IVF is to have a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby.

• It is a safe method that has been used for a long time.

Since its development, it has been improved with new technologies and methodologies to produce safer and more effective treatments. To reduce the risk of side effects such as Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), safest methods of IVF have been introduced.

• IVF helps in the diagnosis of fertilization problems. 

There may be problems with fertilization in some instances of unexplained infertility. It might be impossible to diagnose such situations without trying  fertilization in the lab. Even though this is a disappointing outcome, it is very advantageous to be able to identify these issues so that solutions can be found for therapy in the future.

• IVF is generally more successful than IUI and other forms of reproductive technology. 

Since its inception, IVF success rates have been rising as a result of technological advancements. IUI and other assisted reproductive technologies may be effective for certain patients, but overall, they have not made as much progress and do not currently have very high success rates. 

What are the disadvantages of IVF?

Despite being generally successful, IVF can occasionally fail. IVF is not guaranteed to be successful, and each woman’s experience with the procedure is unique. An accurate and personalized chance of success can be provided by a fertility specialist. 

• IVF can cause multiple births in some cases.

If more than one embryo is transferred in your womb during IVF, the risk of having multiples  rises. Preterm birth and low birth weight are more likely to occur in multiple-fetus pregnancies than in single-fetus pregnancies. (2)

• There is a possibility of miscarriage.

The miscarriage rate for women who conceive using IVF with fresh embryos is similar to women who conceive naturally, but this rate is directly proportional to the increasing age of the expectant mother.

• High estrogen levels can make babies more likely to be born prematurely and with low birth weight. 

High stimulation can raise the risk the baby will be born prematurely. The baby may experience long-term health problems as a result. The intrauterine environment can be impacted by high estrogen levels. 

• High estrogen can cause lower birth weight.

The cause of the lower birth weight in IVF treatment in Turkey can be high estrogen levels. Babies born using drug-free and low-drug methods have been found to be more likely to be full-term and have greater birth weights than babies born using high-stimulation IVF which is linked to high estrogen levels. (3)

Frequently Asked Questions

Mac Dougall, K., Beyene, Y., & Nachtigall, R. D. (2012). ‘Inconvenient biology:’advantages and disadvantages of first-time parenting after age 40 using in vitro fertilization. Human reproduction, 27(4), 1058-1065.