In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is a method of fertilizing a woman’s egg cells outside the human body in a laboratory setting. It can be used to treat infertility or ensure that genetic disorders aren’t passed on to children.
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Scientists are exploring IVG (in vitro gametogenesis), a breakthrough technology that could create eggs and sperm from skin or cheek cells, potentially enabling anyone to have biological children. This process involves reprogramming adult somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells, which can then be differentiated into reproductive cells.
In vitro fertilization is a complex and expensive set of procedures that potential parents dealing with infertility or genetic disorders may turn to when other methods are unavailable. IVF births account for 2% to 3% of all live births in the US annually.
In 2021, close to 240,000 patients received assisted reproductive technologies—the vast majority conceived with IVF—resulting in roughly 92,000 live births. Around 2% of babies born in the US annually are the result of IVF. Globally, over 10 million children have been conceived using the technology since it became available.
The efficacy of in vitro fertilization procedures varies widely based on age, health history, genetics, and more. This CDC calculator provides an estimate of success rates based on your personal information, relying on thousands of reported outcomes across the US.
Throughout human history scholars and researchers have speculated on the origin of human reproduction. It wasn't until the late 19th century that the physical process of egg fertilization via sperm cells was observed (in sea urchins), forming the basis for modern fertility research.
In spite of its wide acceptance as a form of reproductive assistance today, and its role in helping millions of people have children, in vitro fertilization was once considered a controversial threat to society. One magazine went as far as to describe the procedure as "the biggest threat since the atom bomb."
Gynecologist Patrick Steptoe and his collaborator Robert Edwards, a biologist, attempted to fertilize a human egg cell in a petri dish 101 times before finally succeeding. This resulted in the birth of Louise Brown—at the time referred to as a "test tube" baby—in 1978, who was born into the spotlight.
Using stem cells from skin and mouth cells could save hopeful parents time and money and spare egg donors from significant amounts of discomfort throughout the process. There are potential consequences, not just for infertility treatment, but for the ability to create customized cells of any type.
This five-part podcast series, produced by Serial Productions, focuses on the experiences of women undergoing fertility treatments at a Yale clinic where a nurse secretly replaced pain medication with saline solution. This led to women experiencing excruciating pain during procedures, while the clinic downplayed or ignored their complaints.
This database from the CDC provides a searchable portal of fertility clinics across the US, with reported data on services, total procedures performed, and live births recorded for as recent as 2022.
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