IVF consists of bringing together, outside the woman's body (i.e. in the laboratory), sperm and ova in order to facilitate fertilization. In the past, this meeting took place in a small glass test tube, hence the term in vitro. Once the egg or eggs are fertilized, they are implanted back into the woman's uterus, which can lead a completely normal pregnancy. In women, this initially involves taking medication to stimulate ovulation.
IVF is recommended for couples who have difficulty having a child, either after trying other ART techniques (such as ovarian stimulation and/or artificial insemination) or as a first resort in women over 40 . It is also indicated if the man has poor quality sperm (few sperm or poorly mobile sperm). IVF is also used for egg or sperm donation. You should also know that the chance of pregnancy is about 23% by oocyte retrieval, and 25% by embryo transfer. The percentage of multiple pregnancy is also higher, because the medical team is often required to implant several embryos to increase the chances of pregnancy.
Like artificial insemination, IVF is reserved for heterosexual couples, married or cohabiting, who have lived together for at least two years. There is an age limit for women, namely 43 years old (subject to a positive assessment). In France, Social Security pays 100% for four complete IVF attempts, i.e. with embryo transfer. Any IVF that ends before this step is not counted.
