In vitro fertilization, or IVF for short, is a form of assisted reproductive technology that aids in helping one achieve their dreams of parenthood when natural conception fails. Although it is not a foolproof method it does have a high chance of success. The good news here is that IVF can help you immensely. However, there is a small catch here. IVF is a relatively recent technology, and because of its recency, there are many myths behind IVF. But what are these IVF facts and myths you should know? In this blog, we discuss the IVF facts and myths you should know. So, with this in mind, let's get started.
As mentioned earlier, IVF is a relatively new technology. Therefore, there are many myths associated with IVF. Following are some of the myths and facts associated with IVF.
Although IVF is not the cheapest option when it comes to assisted reproductive technology (ART), it is by far not the most expensive one either. Rather, it is an affordable treatment. In Nepal, especially at Hardik, the cost of IVF is between 2,50,000 and 4,00,000. This is a cost that many people in Nepal can afford, especially given the high success rate of IVF at Hardik.
As we mentioned prior, IVF has a high success rate. That said, unlike what you may be led to believe, the success rate is not 100%. The success rate of IVF in Nepal is around 70% to 80%. Furthermore, the success rate is determined by several additional factors, such as your and your partner's age, weight, hormonal health, chromosomal abnormalities, along egg and sperm quality. Furthermore, the quality of the lab and equipment also affects the overall success rate.
While becoming a parent is indeed a dream come true for many, becoming a parent of two or more children at once can be a scary thing in itself. And one of the most common myths that surrounds IVF is that it leads to multiple births. This is not true at all. The only thing that IVF does is increase the chance of pregnancy and parenthood. Nothing more, nothing less. And while there are chances of multiple births when using IVF, the chance is only a slight bit more than if the pregnancy is achieved naturally. This slight increase is nowhere near enough to ensure multiple births. Most of the women who go through IVF treatment process have a single child.
When talking about IVF facts and myths, you should know that we cannot forget this myth about age. Although IVF does indeed enhance the chances of pregnancy even in older age, age does matter. During the IVF procedure, the eggs and sperm are retrieved from the couple themselves. Therefore, if the age of you and your partner is above the ideal frame, the chance of a successful pregnancy would be reduced. The optimum age for IVF is below 35 for women, and 40 for men, and the latest age is 50 for both. If the couple is past this age, IVF by itself cannot aid much. This is because all women are born with a fixed amount of eggs and lose them every month. The older the age, the lower their egg reserve until they run out. As for the males, while their sperm count is not limited, the quality of sperm does degrade with age. Therefore, regardless of what the myth says, IVF is affected by age.
Another common IVF myth and fact you should know is regarding the options for infertility. There is a popular myth that says that IVF is the only solution to infertility. While IVF is indeed one of the most popular and effective solutions for infertility, it is not the only one. There are many other solutions for infertility, such as intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection (IMSI), Laser Assisted Hatching (LAH), and more. You can use any of these other options as a solution for infertility.
Furthermore, you can also use additional techniques along with IVF, such as Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT), to enhance the chances of a successful pregnancy. Therefore, if you want the optimal solution for infertility, do not believe in the myth that IVF is the only solution, and consult with a reproductive expert regarding other options. The optimal solution may or may not be IVF.
Another myth regarding IVF is that it does not work for people with obesity. This is not true since IVF doesn't really care about weight. Regardless of if you are overweight or underweight, IVF works just fine. That said, obesity and being underweight do affect your pregnancy journey, and it might be unpleasant if you are not of the optimum weight. Furthermore, obesity and being underweight also affect natural pregnancy as well. Therefore, while obesity affecting IVF is indeed just a myth, it affecting pregnancy is more than just a myth.
IVF children having genetic disorders is another popular IVF myth that many people believe. This is nothing but a myth since the chance of a genetic disorder is unpredictable. Therefore, no one can predict when or where the genetic disorder comes from as it is random. The chances of genetic disorders in IVF babies are the same as the ones for regular babies. Rather, during the IVF process, you can use additional assisted reproduction technology like preimplantation genetic testing to identify the genetic abnormalities in fertilized eggs, reducing the chances of genetic disorders. So, the thing about IVF babies having more risk of genetic disorders is just a myth and not a fact.
In vitro fertilization (IVF), has emerged as one of the most popular solutions for IVF. However, IVF is relatively new and as with all new technologies, there are bound to be myths associated with IVF. Most of the myths aren't even bad but just incorrect. This includes myths associated with its success rates, its price, its effects, and IVF being the only solution to infertility.
In this blog, we discussed IVF Facts and myths you should know. We hope you found this helpful. If you want further details about the world of IVF, then check out some of our other blogs. And if you want IVF-related service in Nepal, then look no further than Hardik IVF and Fertility Center, the best IVF center in Nepal. Thank you for reading till the end.
The five facts about IVF are as follows:
Yes, fertile couples can do IVF, as one does not need to be infertile for an IVF procedure.
The two advantages of IVF are that it helps couples get better chances of a healthy pregnancy, and it allows for genetic screening through an added step known as PGT.
Some of the things to not do during IVF are as follows:
One of the key myths behind IVF is that IVF babies are born with abnormalities. However, IVF babies are perfectly normal as other children.
Although the chances of having twins are slightly higher in IVF, most of the IVF results in single babies.
The five stages of IVF are as follows:
The specific duration varies depending on the individual circumstances. However, on average, IVF takes around one month to complete.