The last decade has shown a steady increase in the number of Australian women trying to conceive who turn to assisted reproductive technologies for help, and with good reason.

According to the Women’s Day August 2010 article, “Ten Things You Should Know about IVF,” by Annette Campbell, “Australian fertility clinics achieve amongst the highest success rates in IVF in the world. However, an individual couple’s chance of success depends on a number of factors such as the cause of infertility, age and lifestyle.” Campbell goes on to explain that women trying to conceive via IVF have a, “ 50 percent chance of conception per IVF treatment if aged under 30…(and) a 20 percent chance for your first IVF treatment over the age of 40.”

As is evidenced by the above quote, IVF success rates are dependent on a number of factors, but one of the largest factors is age.

That being said, though there will always be slight variations in the findings between sources of IVF success rates in women under forty, there have been so many advancements in the understanding of IVF, that even year over year, success rates have improved.

Take, for instance, the data put out by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in the United Kingdom, who put out the following results in a 2009 study of IVF Success Rates for Women Under 40 using their own eggs:

32.3% for women aged under 35

27.2% for women aged between 35–37

19.2% for women aged between 38–39

— Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority in the UK, 2009

Now compare those results, with numbers put out just one year later by the group, Attain Fertility, in 2010.*

IVF success rates with fresh embryos:

• Women under 35: 42 %
• Women 35-37: 32 %
• Women 38-40: 22 %
• Women 41-42: 12 %
• Women 42: 4 %

IVF success rates with frozen embryos:

• Women under 35: 39 %
• Women 35-37: 35 %
• Women 38-40: 29 %
• Women 41-42: 21 %
• Women 42: 15 %

-Attain Fertility 2010

*2011 numbers not yet released

Couples trying to conceive via In-Vitro Fertilization, or those who are turning to IVF after being unsuccessful with other fertility treatments, such as artificial insemination, pay attention to these numbers, and with good reason. Catharina Olivius, of the Institute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden, recently published a dissertation entitles, “Cumulative Live Birth Rates After In-Vitro Fertilization,” in which she explained the growing interest in IVF success rates. Olivius stated that “In vitro fertilization (IVF) has become increasingly common, today representing about 3% of all live births in some countries. Most patients have to undergo more than one treatment in order to achieve a live birth. Thus cumulative live birth rates are highly interesting to the patients.” Olivius found that women trying to conceive had a good chance of achieving a live birth via IVF after an average of three cycles.

To find out more about how to judge a fertility clinic’s IVF success rates in women under forty, contact our Fertility Solutions Sunshine Coast office today on 1300 FERTILITY.