Introduction of IVF
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm in vitro (“in glass”). The process involves monitoring and stimulating a woman’s ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from her ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a culture medium in a laboratory. After the fertilised egg (zygote) undergoes embryo culture for 2–6 days, it is transferred by catheter into the uterus, with the intention of establishing a successful pregnancy.
Restrictions on the availability of IVF include costs and age, in order for a woman to carry a healthy pregnancy to term. Children born through IVF are commonly called test tube babies.
In July 1978, Louise Brown was the first child successfully born after her mother received IVF treatment.[1]
With egg donation and IVF, women who are past their reproductive years, have infertile partners, have idiopathic female-fertility issues, or have reached menopause can still become pregnant. In 2018, it was estimated that eight million children had been born worldwide using IVF and other assisted reproduction techniques.[5]