Infertility can be one of the most difficult journeys a couple faces. When month after month of hope ends in disappointment, it’s natural to feel discouraged and to wonder if there is another alternative.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) has transformed from an experimental dream into a set of sophisticated, personalized treatments.
Instead of one-size-fits-all procedure, today’s IVF treatments offer multiple paths according to each couple’s specific challenges, from low sperm counts to age-related egg decline, genetic concerns to simple scheduling conflicts.
We’ll explore the major types of IVF treatment, unpacking how each works, who typically benefits, and what success might look like.
Our goal is to explain the options so you can have an informed conversation with your fertility specialist and choose the approach that feels most right for your body, budget and more.
Conventional (Standard) IVF
Conventional IVF (also known as standard IVF) is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedure that involves fertilizing eggs with sperm outside the body, in a laboratory setting.
It’s a common treatment for infertility, helping couples achieve pregnancy when natural conception is difficult or impossible. The different steps include:
- Ovarian stimulation: For about 8–12 days, you’ll self-inject fertility medications (FSH analogues, sometimes with LH) to coax multiple eggs to mature.
- Egg retrieval: Under light sedation, a needle guided by ultrasound removes mature eggs from ovarian follicles.
- Fertilization: In a dish, your partner’s (or donor’s) sperm is mixed with the eggs and left overnight.
- Embryo culture: Lab staff monitor embryos for normal development over 3–5 days.
- Transfer: One or two embryos are selected and placed into the uterus via a thin catheter.
It can help the following:
- Couples with unexplained infertility
- Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes
- Mild male-factor issues
- Women under 40 with adequate ovarian reserve
Pros & cons
Pros: Well-studied, widely available, integrates easily with genetic testing.
Cons: Hormone side effects (bloating, mood swings), risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), cost of medications.
Success expectations
Average live-birth rates per fresh cycle hover between 30–40% for women under 35, gradually declining with age.
ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection)
ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) is a specialized form of IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) where a single sperm is directly injected into an egg for fertilization.
This technique is particularly useful for couples where the male has a low sperm count, poor sperm quality, or other male infertility issues.
Eggs are retrieved just as in conventional IVF. Using a high-powered microscope, an embryologist injects a single sperm directly into each mature egg. Resulting embryos are cultured and transferred like standard IVF.
Pros & cons
Pros: Dramatically improves fertilization rates when sperm quality is poor; offers control over which sperm is used.
Cons: Slightly higher lab costs; microscopic manipulation may raise questions about long-term safety (though decades of data are reassuring).
Success expectations
Fertilization rates of 70–80% per injected egg, with overall pregnancy rates often matching or exceeding conventional IVF, depending on egg quality.
IVF with Donor Eggs
IVF with donor eggs is a process where a woman uses donor eggs, instead of her own, in IVF treatment to achieve pregnancy. This is typically done when a woman is unable to produce healthy eggs or has low ovarian reserve.
Retrieved eggs are fertilized with intended father’s (or donor’s) sperm via conventional IVF or ICSI. Embryos are transferred into the intended mother’s uterus.
It can help the following:
- Women with advanced maternal age (typically over 40)
- Diminished ovarian reserve or poor egg quality
- Genetic risks for egg-based disorders
Pros & cons
Pros: Access to younger, genetically screened eggs raises success rates to 50–70%.
Cons: Emotional considerations around genetic parenthood; legal and donor-matching processes add complexity.
Success expectations
Live-birth rates of 55–65% per transfer when donor eggs come from women under 30, with many clinics reporting even higher outcomes.
IVF with Donor Sperm
IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) with donor sperm is a fertility treatment where a woman’s eggs are fertilized with sperm from a donor, typically used when the male partner has low sperm count or other male fertility issues.
Eggs are fertilized with donor sperm in the lab (IVF or ICSI). Embryos grow for several days, then are transferred into her uterus.
It can help the following:
- Severe male infertility when own sperm cannot be used, even with ICSI
- Genetic conditions carried by the male partner
- Single women or same-sex female couples seeking pregnancy
Pros & cons
Pros: High-quality donor banks provide healthy, screened samples; anonymity or partial openness flexibly arranged.
Cons: Emotional and ethical considerations around donor anonymity, identity and future child-parent relationships.
Success expectations
Similar to conventional IVF for the female partner’s age, with many clinics seeing 40–50%+ live-birth rates per cycle.
Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT)
Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is a procedure used with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to screen embryos for genetic abnormalities before they are transferred to the uterus.
This testing helps identify embryos with genetic defects that could lead to implantation failure, miscarriage, or genetic diseases in the offspring.
PGT can significantly improve IVF success rates and reduce the risk of genetic disorders, miscarriages, and the need for multiple IVF cycles After fertilization (via IVF or ICSI), embryos reach the blastocyst stage (day 5–6).
A few cells from each embryo are gently biopsied. Cells undergo genetic analysis to screen for chromosomal abnormalities (PGT-A) or specific single-gene disorders (PGT-M). Only chromosomally normal, disease-free embryos are transferred.
It can help the following:
- Couples with known inherited disorders (e.g., cystic fibrosis, thalassemia)
- Recurrent miscarriage, likely from chromosomal issues
- Women over 35 seeking to reduce aneuploidy risk
Pros & cons
Pros: Lowers miscarriage rates, increases chance of single healthy birth; may shorten time to pregnancy.
Cons: Adds cost and 1–2 extra days in the lab; small risk of biopsy damage; not all embryos reach blastocyst stage.
Success expectations
When PGT-A is used, live-birth rates per transfer of tested embryos can exceed 60–70%, especially in younger women.
Natural-Cycle IVF
Natural Cycle IVF (ICF) is an assisted reproductive technique where the fertilization of an egg happens in a laboratory, but the woman’s ovaries are not stimulated with medication.
Instead, one egg is collected from the woman’s natural menstrual cycle, and then the embryo is transferred back into the uterus.
No or minimal hormone stimulation; doctors simply track the natural follicle that matures each cycle. That single egg is retrieved and fertilized in the lab. Resulting embryo is transferred back into the uterus.
It can help the following:
- Women with normal-to-high ovarian reserve who wish to avoid drugs
- Those at risk for or wary of OHSS
- Patients with prior adverse reactions to stimulation
Pros & cons
Pros: No or minimal medication, lower cost, gentler on the body.
Cons: Only one egg per cycle; success rates of 10–20% per attempt; may require multiple cycles to achieve pregnancy.
Success expectations
Roughly 10–15% chance per cycle, often necessitating repeated attempts for a reasonable cumulative success rate.
Mini-Stim (Mild Stimulation) IVF
Mild stimulation IVF is a gentler approach to ovarian stimulation in IVF, using lower doses of medication to produce fewer eggs than traditional IVF.
It aims to retrieve 1-10 eggs, focusing on quality over quantity, and reduces the risk of hyperstimulation syndrome.
A handful of eggs (often 3–7) are retrieved. Eggs are fertilized (IVF/ICSI) and embryos transferred in a fresh or frozen cycle.
It can help the following:
- Women who respond poorly to standard stimulation
- Those wishing to reduce side effects and cost
- Patients with moderate ovarian reserve who can spare a few eggs per cycle
Pros & cons
Pros: Reduced medication, lower OHSS risk, less monitoring.
Cons: Fewer embryos to choose from; slightly lower per-cycle success than high-stim protocols, though cumulative rates can be comparable.
Success expectations
Per-cycle live-birth rates of 25–35%, varying by age and egg yield.
Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
Frozen embryo transfer (FET) involves thawing previously frozen embryos and transferring them into the uterus to establish a pregnancy.
This procedure is typically used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization (IVF) when embryos are frozen after the initial egg retrieval and fertilization process.
FET offers a less invasive and potentially more cost-effective option for couples seeking pregnancy compared to a fresh IVF cycle.
It can help the following:
- Couples with extra embryos from a previous IVF attempt
- Those needing to delay transfer (e.g., for health reasons)
- Patients seeking fewer injections during transfer cycle
Pros & cons
Pros: No stimulation drugs in the transfer cycle; flexibility in timing; often similar or better success than fresh transfers.
Cons: Small risk of embryo loss during freezing/thawing; added storage and thaw fees.
Success expectations
Modern vitrification techniques yield thaw survival over 95%, with live-birth rates of 40–60% per transfer, matching or exceeding fresh cycles.
Conclusion
Whether you need the precision of ICSI, the genetic assurance of PGT, a hormone-free natural cycle or the egg quality boost of a donor program, there’s an IVF type designed to meet your unique needs.
While no method guarantees success, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each helps you to choose the path that aligns with your medical profile, emotional bandwidth and family goals.
With science, compassion and perseverance on your side, many couples who once thought parenthood out of reach are now sharing belly laughs and bedtime stories with children they once only dreamed of.
Your journey may have twists and turns, but for countless families around the world, the end has been worth every step.
