In Vitro Fertilization Essay

For most individuals happiness is associated with having a strong and happy family, including children. Unfortunately not all couples turn out to be able to have their biological children. There are several options possible in order to solve this problem. Many couples take the decision to participate in in vitro fertilization. This method is based upon a series of sophisticated medical procedures, which aim at treating fertility and genetic problems with the final goal of letting a couple have a child. Medical science is constantly moving forward, but nowadays IVF is considered to be the most effective option in assisted reproductive technology. This procedure could be fulfilled with the help of the own eggs of the patient and the partner’s sperm. In some cases sperm or embryos could be taken from other donors. The procedure is not easy and its successful outcome – healthy baby – depends upon a range of factors, including the age and the cause of infertility. Talking about the negative aspects, it is also necessary to mention the cost of IVF and the fact that it could be rather time-consuming. Thus in vitro fertilization could be defined as “a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm outside the body, in vitro (“in glass”).” (Volgsten 2010). This is a rather widespread type of assisted reproductive technology, and there are concrete bans and legal regulation in various countries of the world, which gives the rise to fertility tourism practice. Infertility is a shockingly common diagnosis in the United States. In fact, one in every eight couples will experience complications when trying to get pregnant. This is a problem that for most couples is devastating. When infertility occurs, a couple may choose alternative methods to start a family. One such method is In Vitro fertilization.

In vitro fertilization is a perfect option for those couples, who are looking for the alternative to treating their infertility, if they were diagnosed with damaged fallopian tubes, decreased sperm count, ovulation disorders, etc. The requirements for in vitro fertilization include the ability to produce own sperm or egg. The whole process usually takes up to ten weeks, however, not all patients have the first IVF cycle successful.

As any kind of medical treatment, in vitro fertilization has its risks and complications. One of the major complications of IVF is considered to be the risk of multiple births. It could be explained by the fact of transferring of several embryos. Multiple births are dangerous, because they might lead to pregnancy loss, prematurity, neonatal morbidity and long term damage. This is the reason, why in some countries the number of the transferred embryos is limited to a certain figure. Still it is not universally accepted. “Spontaneous splitting of embryos in the womb after transfer can occur, but this is rare and would lead to identical twins. A double blind, randomised study followed IVF pregnancies that resulted in 73 infants (33 boys and 40 girls) and reported that 8.7% of singleton infants and 54.2% of twins had a birth weight of < 2,500 grams (5.5 lb).” (Olivennes, Mannaerts 2001).

Some kinds of IVF might lead to distortions in the sex ratio at birth, in other words this medical procedure might have negative impact upon the natural balance of male and female children born. “Epigenetic modifications caused by extended culture leading to the death of more female embryos has been theorized as the reason why blastocyst transfer leads to a higher male sex ratio, however adding retinoic acid to the culture can bring this ratio back to normal.” (Roberts 2015).

One more important risk is the spread of infectious disease, it could happen via the male sperm, which is provided to the female and could also be passed to the offspring. Thus for males with hepatitis B sperm washing is considered to be a necessary procedure, in case the female partner was not effective vaccinated. For females with hepatitis B the risk of vertical transmission is close to the risk during spontaneous conception. “Regarding potential spread of HIV/AIDS, Japan’s government prohibited the use of IVF procedures for couples in which both partners are infected with HIV. Despite the fact that the ethics committees previously allowed the Ogikubo, Tokyo Hospital, located in Tokyo, to use IVF for couples with HIV, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan decided to block the practice.” (Japan Bans in Vitro Fertilisation for HIV Couples 2008).

There is a risk of the development of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which leads to swollen and painful ovaries. Statistically it is diagnosed by 30% of patients. Different treatment is organized for mild, moderate and severe cases of this syndrome. There is a possibility of bleeding and damage to surrounding structures during the process of egg retrieval. Also patients might suffer from allergic reactions to medications, nerve damage and chest infections. If the fertilized egg develops outside the uterus, then there is a risk of ectopic pregnancy, this is the case, when doctors are forced to destruct the fetus immediately. No matter what the result of the pregnancy is, IVF treatment brings a great portion of stress to the patients. “Neuroticism and the use of escapist coping strategies are associated with a higher degree of distress, while the presence social support has a relieving effect.” (Volgsten 2010). If the pregnancy test is negative after IVF, then there is a high risk of depression by females, in some cases it leads to anxiety disorders.

The research, conducted in 2013, showed that there is a risk of birth defects by the infants, resulting from IVF. Among them are septal heart defects, cleft lip, esophageal atresia, anoractal atresia, etc. IVF is also considered to increase the risk of the childhood cancer, namely retinoblastoma,  hepatoblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma.

It was already mentioned that the cost of the procedure is rather high, it makes up to $ 12.000. It is usually done at fertility centers, which are specially designed for such medical procedures. Taking into consideration the high cost of IVF, it is evident that financial aspect is one of the restrictions. In addition there are religious restrictions and legal restrictions at some counties, where couples could be required to officially register their marriage before participating in IVF.

The success rates of IVF are defined by the total numbers of positive outcomes. The difference in the calculations could be explained by the type of calculation applied, as it could be based upon the number of live births or the pregnancy rate for example. Also such factors as maternal age, reproductive history, cause of infertility and so on should be considered.

The process of in vitro fertilization consists of several steps – ovulation induction, retrieval of the egg, retrieval of the sperm, fertilization and embryo transfer. One cycle of in vitro fertilization usually lasts up to two weeks, but it is possible that more than one cycle is needed. If the egg of the patient and not of the donor is used, then there is a need to conduct the synthetic hormones treatment, which is expected to stimulate the ovaries for producing multiple eggs. Naturally there is only one egg developed each month. Along with this doctors usually insist upon vaginal ultrasound with the aim of monitoring the development of the eggs and blood tests, which would show the response of the patient to ovarian stimulation medications. Egg retrieval is done in doctor’s office before ovulation. Sperm sample is also taken at the doctor’s office or a clinic. In some particular cases such methods as testicular aspiration for extracting sperm are needed. There are two methods of fertilization. Insemination, when healthy sperm is mixed with mature eggs and then incubated overnight and intracytoplastic sperm injection, when healthy sperm is injected into each mature egg directly. The second option is normally chosen, if there are already records of unsuccessful IVF cycles. Within two to six days upon egg retrieval, embryo transfer is performed at doctor’s office. This procedure is painless, but some patients receive mild sedative. The sign of the successful procedure would be the implantation of the egg to the uterus in around 10 days after the egg retrieval. When the embryo transfer is finished, patients return to their normal lives. Mild bloating, cramping, constipation could be noticed as typical side effects.

There are some important issues, to be considered to the individuals, who participate in IVF procedure. First of all those embryos, which were not used during the first IVF attempt, could be frozen and used later. This helps to reduce the financial cost of the procedure, if there is need to repeat it several times. Some couples are successful from the first cycle and then they take the decision to donate their embryos to other coupes, unable to have children in natural way. 

Overall, the problem of infertility is one of the most acute medical issues nowadays, there are a lot of couples, who want to have children and are not able to have them via usual biological way. In vitro fertilization is one of the most widely used medical procedures for solving the problem of infertility and providing additional chance for such couples. This method has both positive and negative sides and all of them should be considered individually by each couple.

Works cited:

“Japan Bans in Vitro Fertilisation for HIV Couples”. Infoniac.com., 2008.

Olivennes F, Mannaerts B. “Perinatal outcome of pregnancy after GnRH antagonist (ganirelix) treatment during ovarian stimulation for conventional IVF or ICSI: a preliminary report”. Hum. Reprod., 2001

Roberts, Michael, Impaired imprinted X chromosome inactivation is responsible for the skewed sex ratio following in vitro fertilization. University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 2015

Volgsten H. “Risk factors for psychiatric disorders in infertile women and men undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment”. Fertil Steril., 2010

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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