It is no longer a secret that due to factors such as the pursuit of professional advancement, many young couples often delay their family planning. As a result, the average age of women seeking IVF treatment in Greece is 38. It is estimated that more than one in seven couples face difficulties conceiving naturally, and the number of annual births worldwide following assisted reproduction exceeds 750,000.
According to the guidelines of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), medical advice is necessary and very important for women over 35 years old if they have had six months of regular unprotected intercourse without achieving pregnancy. For women under 35, medical consultation is recommended after 12 months of systematic unprotected sexual intercourse.
Regarding factors contributing to reduced fertility, age is one of the most important for women. The quality of the eggs and consequently the chance of natural conception decline after a woman’s 35th year, resulting in many couples trying to have children after this age not succeeding without medical assistance.
In men, infertility relates to a decrease in the quality and quantity of sperm. Additionally, stress negatively affects quality of life and can indirectly contribute to reduced fertility in couples. Considering that the modern lifestyle with its intense work pace adversely impacts both the frequency and desire for sexual activity, this is significant.
The solution of in vitro fertilization
While modern life causes increased stress, there is no reason to worry about IVF. There is no evidence linking IVF to breast cancer or other forms of cancer. Furthermore, success rates are quite high, exceeding 50%, especially when treatment is carried out in women under 35 years old and in clinics equipped with advanced technology and equipment. It should be noted, however, that after age 40 the chances decrease, so couples considering the procedure should not waste valuable time.
Similarly, miscarriage rates are not higher with IVF (ranging from 15-20%, as is the case for women conceiving naturally). Lastly, scientific findings do not support the fears many couples have that IVF children have more genetic abnormalities or health problems. On the contrary, the risk of genetic abnormalities is estimated at 1-2%, regardless of when conception occurred. After age 40, the probability decreases, so couples considering the procedure should act without delay.
Other solutions
Natural cycle IVF is recommended in two cases: The first concerns younger women with a satisfactory ovarian reserve, i.e., a sufficient number of eggs. These women need 6 to 12 months to collect the required number of eggs for IVF and achieve pregnancy with the first embryo transfer. The second concerns women over 40 with low ovarian reserve, for whom IVF with medication does not increase the number of eggs collected.
Additionally, egg freezing is an option for women recently diagnosed with cancer or with a family history of premature menopause. The number of eggs required depends on the woman’s age at the time of freezing. For women under 35, pregnancy is usually achieved with one egg retrieval, while women over 40 may need to repeat the procedure. Thanks to advances in the method, egg survival rates after thawing exceed 90%, with pregnancy rates over 50% in women under 35.
For women whose advanced age, poor egg quality, or other medical reasons prevent the use of their own eggs or pregnancy, solutions such as egg donors and surrogate mothers are available.
Finally, mini-IVF is an innovative, rapid method with minimal medication stimulation. It collects 1-3 high-quality eggs capable of producing embryos accordingly. Since mini-IVF promotes quality over quantity, the effectiveness of IVF increases significantly. Additionally, fertilization requires smaller amounts of medication, meaning reduced costs and lower risk of side effects.
Source: Interview with Ioannis Zervomanolakis, Dimitra Papadopoulou & Stefanos Chandakas in the magazine “Ygeia Mou” about assisted reproduction titled “IVF, Precious Babies.”