Age not a hurdle for IVF

There are many assistive reproductive technologies available today for couples affected by infertility issues conceive. 

IVF or In Vitro Fertilisation is one such option. In this procedure, eggs are out of a female body and fertilized with the sperm. The resultant embryo is transferred to the uterus and the cycle of pregnancy starts. Though IVF has been successful, there are many myths related to this procedure. Here are some: 

Myth 1: IVF can resolve all in fertility issues
IVF is one among many assisted reproductive procedures. Other procedures include ovulation induction (OI) with medications, Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI) etc. 

Myth 2: It is only for younger couples
IVF can be as effective in women in the post-menopausal group as in younger ones. In case of older women, donor eggs from younger females are used. But yes, pregnancy rates in older women are lower as compared to younger women.

Myth 3: IVF babies are born with birth defects
The absolute risk of delivering an IVF baby with malformations is low. The risk of anomalous fetus in IVF babies is the same as in general population.

Myth 4: IVF leads to multiple pregnancies
Though there are cases of multiple pregnancies, reducing the number of embryos transferred, particularly in younger women, can minimize this risk.

Myth 5: Donating eggs will deplete them
During menarche, a girl has over 4,00,000 eggs. Of these, only 400 are required in an entire lifetime. Every month about 20 of these are mobilized and only one or two grow to the point of being released during ovulation. IVF helps in sustaining the growth of these remaining eggs. Therefore, there is no chance of eggs depleting through donation for IVF.

Myth 6: IVF pregnancies result in caesarean births
IVF pregnancies are just like naturally conceived ones. While cases with higher chances of a multiple pregnancy can opt for elective cesarean delivery, a normal vaginal delivery is possible following IVF.

Myth 7: It is only for the rich
IVF may be a little expensive but cheaper than many other surgeries. 

Myth 8: IVF has a 100 per cent success rate
The success rate is about 40 per cent in couples below the age of 35 and depends on factors such as age, cause of infertility, and biological and hormonal conditions.

Myth 9: IVF is not safe
It is safe with only about 2 per cent of patients standing the risk of ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome.

Myth 10: IVF requires a person to be admitted in the hospital
The hospital admission is only for few hours during the egg-collection procedure.