(UN)Fun Facts
1 in 4 recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage, with 85% of those being in the first trimester
1/3 of the time infertility is due to female factor, 1/3 is male factor and 1/3 is a combination of both or unexplained
A third (33%) of all Americans say that they or someone they know has used some type of fertility treatment in order to try to have a baby
1 in 8 couples experience infertility
Researchers have found that women who were able to have their last child after age 33 are likely to live to 95. In fact, they have twice the chance to live to 95 or older than those who had their last child before their 30th birthday
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine confirmed in 2019 that significant racial disparities exist in infertility care. In their study, the success rate (measured as the ratio of live births per Assisted Reproductive Technology cycle) was lower for Black women, and the miscarriage rate was higher. Race was an independent factor related to a live birth, even when controlling for age, Body Mass Index, previous pregnancy, and etiology of the infertility
50-60% of embryo transfers lead to live births
Half of pregnancy losses are due to chromosomal abnormalities. The other half are unexplained and thought to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors
Fertility drugs are not included in the treatment cost at clinics
4 million births per year - or 1-2% of all US births annually - are IVF
Most women with endometriosis will suffer for up to 10 years before receiving a proper diagnosis
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects an estimated 6-10% of all women
Children born to heterosexual couples through assisted reproduction, and those with gay parents who adopt or turn to surrogacy, those created by single mothers by choice, and those with transgender parents show high levels of psychological well-being and benefit from being told about their origins at an early age
Studies show that African American women are twice as likely to suffer from infertility as White women, yet seek out help for it half as much
Only 5% of infertile couples will pursue IVF.
It takes approximately 90 days for an egg to mature prior to ovulation, which means that you should allow *at least 3 months* when trying to improve egg quality
Only 19 states have fertility insurance coverage laws, with 13 of those including IVF coverage and 10 including fertility preservation
1-2% of all babies born in the US are conceived using Assisted Reproductive Technology
Research shows that women with infertility experience the same levels of stress and depression as those with cancer, AIDS and heart disease
The very first (ever) IVF baby was born 6 days after Sophie and 21 days before Abbe
The average cost of a single IVF cycle in the U.S. is between $10,000 and $15,000
Women are born with all of the eggs they will ever have. (And new sperm are created every day - go figure)
The number of Assisted Reproductive Technology cycles in the US - mostly IVF - rose from 231,936 in 2015 to 306,197 in 2018 (most recent year for which data is available)
Our egg count as we age looks like this (see above: we're born with all the eggs we'll ever have):
Birth = 1-2 million, Puberty = 300,000, 40yo = 25,000, Menopause = less than 1,000