There are a variety of IVF protocols, which are appropriate for different situations, and IVF costs vary considerably worldwide. In most countries, IVF is paid for by patients or their health insurance, and while health insurance cover varies, it usually includes diagnosis but not treatment costs. The average cost for an IVF cycle in the US is...
IVF Drugs are an integral part of over 99% of IVF treatments in the USA, and the stimulation they provide increases the number of eggs that can be collected from a menstrual cycle. The drugs don’t increase the number of eggs in the ovaries for a particular cycle, as each cycle started several months before (eggs and follicles), but stimulation...
There are two Flare Protocols, and they’re usually chosen after a poor response to previous treatments or blood results show low ovarian reserve. The “Flare” or “Antagonist” protocol doesn’t suppress the pituitary gland before stimulation, and this gets a better response for women with low ovarian reserve. This pr...
Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) has probably been the most significant development in IVF since it began in 1992. The advantage of ICSI is that as long as some sperm can be obtained (even in low numbers), a man can be a biological father. The technique has revolutionised male factor infertility and often removed the need for donor spe...
(ART), and IUI is usually a couple’s first line of treatment, with three to six treatment cycles being the standard before IVF is recommended. The success rates for IUI (with Clomid) and IVF are very similar; however, trying naturally is more successful than either for couples with unexplained infertility! i Intra-Uterine Insemination (...
In-Vitro Maturation (IVM) is a variation of conventional IVF, where the big difference is the collection and use of immature eggs. It’s a relatively new protocol (since about 2008) and clinics are still perfecting the retrieval and maturation of immature eggs and the receptivity of the womb lining for implantation. i In IVM, immature eggs are ...
The Long & Short IVF protocols are the stimulation protocols that are most commonly used, and the difference is GnRH down-regulation or not. A birth control pill (Lupron) controls the menstrual cycle and prevents ovulation in the Long Protocol, and both cycles then have stimulation from either follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or human me...
