How Do I Know If I Need IVF?

Not all patients need IVF or are good candidates for IVF. Thus, the answer to this question can be determined only after you undergo a comprehensive infertility evaluation by your reproductive endocrinologist. Nevertheless, some situations clearly require the use of IVF. For example, women with absent or severely damaged fallopian tubes should be treated immediately with IVF. Likewise, IVF should be performed first if the male partner has very poor sperm quality. For other patients, the use of IVF may be less clear-cut, especially given that many different treatment options exist. In such cases, the doctor should discuss with the couple the pros and cons of each option, and then all parties should jointly decide on a treatment plan.

Kristin comments:

After I lost my right fallopian tube to an ectopic pregnancy, we discussed the various ART options with our RE.

Due to my PCOS diagnosis as well as having only one tube, my chance of conceiving during an IUI cycle was around 10% at best, whereas my chance of conceiving via IVF was significantly higher than a typical 30-year-old fertile woman’s chance. We were eager to start our family and decided to go with the more aggressive treatment because it had a higher success rate. It helped that our insurance covered the procedure. I think it is important to know the success rates for the treatment options your RE suggests. When given the choice between a 10% chance of conceiving through IUI and a more than 50% chance of conceiving through IVF, the choice seemed clear.