Infertility Stats and Success Rates

According to the American Society For Reproductive Medicine, infertility affects 6.1 million American women and their partners, about 10 percent of the reproductive age population.

Recent improvements in medication, microsurgery, and assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), make pregnancy possible for more than half of the couples who pursue treatment. There are more than 70,000 babies born in the United States as the result of ART, including more than 45,000 resulting from IVF.

One of the most confusing issues related to assisted reproductive technologies is understanding the success rates for a particular clinic or program. This confusion stems from the fact that success rates may vary depending on the reason for the infertility, the age of patients being treated, and the type of procedure being used.

Another area of potential confusion is the way the pregnancy rate is reported. For example pregnancy rates can be reported by cycle, by patient, or by the type of procedure, all of which give different results.

Because of these factors, comparison of different programs by using statistics alone is not recommended. A valuable source of information about ART success rates can be found on the Reproductive Health web site provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The information for this CDC report comes from the 383 fertility clinics in operation in 2000 that provided and verified information on the outcomes of all ART cycles started in their clinics. The 99,639 ART cycles performed at these clinics in 2000 resulted in 25,228 live births (deliveries of one or more living infants) and 35,025 babies. In this report from the CDC, information about each clinic is presented in a one-page table that includes the types of ART used, reason for the infertility, success rates that each clinic reported, and individual program characteristics. Clinics are listed in alphabetical order by state, city, and clinic name.

Many people considering ART will want to use this report to find the "best" clinic. However, comparisons between clinics must be made with caution. Many factors contribute to the success of an ART procedure. Some factors are related to the training and experience of the ART clinic and laboratory professionals and the quality of services they provide. Other factors are related to the patients themselves, such as their age and the cause of their infertility. Some clinics may be more willing than others to accept patients with low chances of success or may specialize in various ART treatments that attract particular types of patients.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
2002 Assisted Reproductive Technology Success Rates