In brief
- Only three out of 10 common IVF add-ons may benefit fertility, a study has found.
- The study’s lead author has called for IVF clinics to offer more clarification.
Lead author Sarah Lensen said the findings challenge the widespread belief that additional treatments, such as intralipid infusion, improve outcomes.
Currently, there are more than 20 extra IVF procedures available in IVF clinics, often advertised as add-ons that could benefit pregnancy, including acupuncture, corticosteroid use and intralipid infusions, with prices ranging from $150 to $5,000.
In 2021, the research team partnered with the Victorian IVF regulator VARTA to survey 1,590 women who undergo IVF treatment. It found 82 per cent of them had used an additional treatment alongside their IVF procedures.
Lensen said despite the common perception that IVF could guarantee pregnancy, IVF success rates across the world remain “modest”.
Source: ‘Desperate’ IVF patients offered treatments with no proven fertility benefits | SBS News