IVF is an abbreviation for In Vitro Fertilization and is often simply called artificial insemination

In an IVF treatment, the egg and sperm cells do not come together in the woman’s body, but in a laboratory in a test tube. Therefore, the method is also called “in-vitro”, which means “in the glass”.

For example, IVF is an option if:

• the woman’s fallopian tubes are blocked or completely missing,
• the semen quality of the man is reduced,
• the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, or
• if no cause of sterility is found during clarification.

In IVF treatment, the egg is taken from the ovary to be fertilized with sperm in the laboratory. The egg is then cultured for 2-5 days before the fertilized egg is placed back into the uterus to continue developing.

During IVF treatment, the woman’s ovaries are stimulated to produce more eggs than in a spontaneous cycle. This means that during retrieval, one can retrieve more than just one egg for IVF treatment. In a normal cycle, the woman usually only produces one egg cell. Multiple oocytes improve the likelihood of finding suitable oocytes for fertilization.

In order to achieve the best possible results from the treatment, it is important that the woman produces eggs and that her uterus is capable of accepting the fertilized egg. If the woman does not produce eggs herself, IVF treatment can be done with egg donation, and if the man’s sperm cells are not working, sperm donation can be used.