What Are IVF Success Rates By Age

IVF (in-vitro fertilization) is an effective assisted reproductive technology that helps partners conceive. The technology works for couples diagnosed with infertility because of various factors, including blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, congenital uterine anomalies, etc., in women, and azoospermia, genetic problems, and immune problems in men.

Many things affect one’s ability to conceive, one of which is maternal age. According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average age of a woman getting pregnant for the first time is 27.

While IVF can help partners struggling with infertility, its success rate depends on your age.
In this post, we’ve shared the IVF success rate by age, factors affecting the success of IVF treatment, and the best age for a woman to consider the procedure. Read on.

When Should You Consider IVF?

Negative pregnancy test results after trying for a year or longer to conceive indicate a problem with your fertility. Reasons why a couple might choose IVF include blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, PCOD, and low egg reserve (to name a few). IVF also works in cases of male infertility.

IVF is considered a step ahead of regular fertility treatments. If you have tried all medications, surgical procedures, and hormonal treatments but have seen no results, IVF is your best chance at conceiving.

In-vitro fertilization isn’t only for couples who can’t conceive naturally, but it’s advised for those who fear passing their problematic genes to their children. The procedure involves Preimplantation Genetic Screening (testing the embryo for genetic problems before they are implanted into the uterus). This makes it a safer choice for parents with genetic disorders.

IVF Success Rate By Age

IVF success rate depends on factors like the cause of infertility and the maternal age. It works just like natural pregnancies. Younger women have a higher chance of conceiving through the procedure. As your age increases, your chances of fertility decline.

This happens because a woman’s egg reserves and quality decline after a certain age, affecting her ability to conceive naturally.

According to SART’s reports, the IVF success rate by age is shown below.

Woman’s Age

IVF Success Rate

As you can see, the chances of conceiving through this assisted reproductive technology decrease drastically with your age. IVF’s success rate over 40 is just 9.6%. The success rate may also differ depending on whether you use fresh or frozen embryos.

Can You Get Pregnant On the First Try?

Some women achieve a healthy and viable pregnancy on the first attempt of the IVF cycle. Younger women are likely to conceive quickly because of the good egg supply. The chances increase if you opt for multiple embryo transfers, but that comes with the risk of multiple pregnancies.

Women above 35 years or in their 40s might need multiple cycles of IVF to get a positive pregnancy test result.

How Does Your Age Affect Your Fertility?

Age is one of the most common factors affecting a woman’s pregnancy. Although a woman is born with an egg reserve for a lifetime, the quality and quantity of these eggs decline as she ages.

A balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle can help improve your chances of conceiving. However, age will still be the number one factor determining your chances of conception. For instance, a woman in her 20s has up to a 30% chance of conceiving every month, given that her reproductive health is in good condition. The percentage starts to decline as she crosses 30. A woman in her 40s has only a 5% chance of conceiving every month.

Even if a woman conceives at an older age, she has a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications than a younger woman. The chances of miscarriage and genetic abnormalities (due to poor egg quality) increase after 35. There’s also an increased risk of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placenta previa, and stillbirth in older women.

What Factors Affect the IVF Success Rate?

Age is undeniably one of the most crucial IVF success factors, but it alone doesn’t determine your chances of getting pregnant with this procedure. Here are a few common factors that affect the success rate of an IVF cycle.

Your general health
Your uterine anatomy
Your AMH levels
Your uterine lining
Sperm count and quality in men
The number and quality of eggs retrieved

The lower your AMH level, the fewer eggs your healthcare provider can retrieve. Before in-vitro fertilization treatment, you will undergo a series of tests that evaluate your uterine anatomy, AMH levels, and overall reproductive health.

Women with abnormalities in the uterus and other reproductive organs are less likely to get pregnant with IVF compared to those who have had one or more healthy pregnancies in the past. Certain lifestyle factors, such as smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, and alcohol consumption, can also affect the IVF success rate.

How to Improve IVF Success Rate?

No supplement can magically increase your pregnancy success rate after an IVF cycle. However, experts recommend a few tips to improve your chances of conceiving. This applies to both—women who conceive naturally and those undergoing IVF or other assisted reproductive treatments. Here’s what can help:

A Healthy Weight: Overweight and obese women face more complications in getting and maintaining pregnancy than healthier women with a normal body mass index. That’s because your weight affects your ovulation cycle and causes hormonal imbalance.
Quit Alcohol and Smoking: Smoking cigarettes has been linked to poor egg quality in women. Likewise, alcohol consumption can negatively affect your pregnancy.
Improve Your Dietary Intake: Add lots of vitamins, minerals, and healthy nutrients to your diet. Limit the intake of caffeine, processed foods, and other unhealthy snacks.

Sometimes, a woman experiences difficulty conceiving because of an underlying medical problem. You may have a healthy reproductive system, but certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and thyroid problems, can affect your pregnancy. PCOD is also linked to an increased risk of infertility, as it affects your ovulation cycle and hormonal balance.

What Should You Expect During IVF?

IVF is divided into five stages, starting with the ovarian stimulation. Your doctor will give you hormonal injections to stimulate the production of eggs. They will schedule egg retrieval, in which the mature eggs are collected from your ovaries and are mixed with the sperm in an incubator. They are left overnight for fertilization. The fertilized eggs are transferred into the woman’s uterus through a minimally invasive procedure.

Pregnancy Through Other Assisted Reproductive Technology

IUI – Intrauterine Insemination is another procedure that helps women achieve a healthy pregnancy. The chances of conceiving through IUI are significantly lower than that of IVF. The procedure involves injecting the healthy sperm directly into the woman’s uterus to increase the chances of fertilization and embryo implantation. IUI is scheduled around the time of ovulation.

However, if we compare the IUI vs. IVF success rate, the latter is more effective. IUI has a success rate of 5-20 percent per cycle, while the success rate of IVF is close to 45% in healthy women.