IVF success rates

The success rates of individual clinics vary greatly, so it's important to find current information for each clinic you are considering. You may request this information through the clinic(s), or you can review success rate information published by various governing authorities.

The European Society of Human Reproduction Embryology (ESHRE) has published “ART in Europe,” which analyses IVF statistics from a number of European countries. Click here to read ESHRE's report.

How much should you rely on success rates?

There are various ways success rates can be calculated. It is possible for a clinic to include chemical pregnancies (a rise in hCG levels) instead of clinical pregnancies (pregnancy documented by ultrasound) in their success rates. However, an even better indicator of success is the clinic's live birth rate.

These are all terms that may be included in the clinic's statistics. As an IVF consumer, it is important that you understand how to read the published reports. Sam Thatcher, MD, PhD, has written an article about the success rates of assisted reproductive technologies. In it, he describes many of the IVF reporting terms, what they mean, and how to interpret them. Read Dr. Thatcher's article, ART success rates - all that glimmers.