Can I Be Disqualified from IVF Treatment?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a common infertility treatment that is recommended for many different fertility diagnoses. IVF may be one of the most well-known forms of infertility treatment, but few realize that there are factors that can disqualify a patient, his or her partner, or all parties involved from this type of treatment.

IVF may be used in cases of female-factor infertility, male-factor infertility, and unexplained infertility. Single women and couples alike can achieve parenthood with IVF. However, even if your physician is leaning toward IVF as the best possible route to conception, there are factors that could disqualify you from this treatment. Your fertility specialist may also need to recommend a treatment aside from IVF because your chances of a successful cycle may be low.

Factors that could disqualify patients from IVF treatment include:

Underlying medical conditions – Some medical conditions can negatively impact your ability to conceive or maintain a healthy pregnancy. Examples of these conditions include endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premature ovarian failure (POS). Your fertility specialist may recommend treatment for an underlying condition prior to an IVF attempt to help maximize your chances of conception. If treatment proves unhelpful or an IVF attempt fails, your fertility specialist may also recommend consideration of third-party reproductive services such as egg donation, sperm donation and gestational surrogacy.

Weight – Your weight is indicative of your overall health, and if you are overweight or underweight according to the BMI scale, you may not qualify for IVF treatment. Diet and exercise changes may be advised in the weeks and months prior to undergoing fertility treatment if your physician believes it will improve your chances of conception.

Age – The IVF treatment success rate is typically broken down by a patient’s age, with younger patients experiencing higher success rates than those aged 40 and older. Age and female fertility are tightly connected, so some fertility practices may claim high success rates, but they actually disqualify those age 40 and older from treatment. At Washington Fertility Center, we include patients aged 40 and older within our success rate measurements.

You can read more informational blog posts about IVF treatment here.