Single Embryo Transfer

Abstract

Worldwide 95% of the adults express their desire for a child. Between 8 and 12% of reproductive-aged couples worldwide have problems conceiving. The probable global average for infertility is estimated to affect 9% of women. In some regions of the world, the rates of infertility are much higher, reaching up to 30% in some populations [1]. Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of centres offering Assisted Reproduction Techniques (ART). The number of ART cycles performed worldwide has increased clearly over time: a 5–10% increase per annum. The International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies reported >1,251,881 procedures with ART in their World Report on Assisted Reproductive Technologies for 2007 [2]. This Committee yearly summarises the data collection set from 2,419 of 3,354 (72.1%) known ART clinics in 55 countries. In 2007, in the United Kingdom, availability of ART was estimated to have been at 766 cycles per million inhabitants. Availability of ART treatments varies by country from 12 (Guatemala) to 4,140 (Israel) treatments per million population. The latter is the result of substantial economic support for patients undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Australia, New Zealand, and European countries, especially northern Europe, also strongly support ART treatments. The overall worldwide delivery rate per fresh aspiration stood at 20.3% in 2007, ranging from 8% to 33%. For frozen-embryo transfer (FET), delivery rates were 18.4%, resulting in a cumulative delivery rate of 25.8%. In the United Kingdom in 2013, a delivery rate of 26% per cycle started was noted [3]. In Europe, the delivery rate after cycle of intrauterine insemination (IUI) with husband’s semen was 8.9% and 13.8% after IUI with donor semen [4].