Understanding IVF Success Rates Under 35: Expert Guide

The article, titled ‘IVF Success Rate Below 35’, intends to examine and determine the success rates of IVF for couples aged under 35. It also attempts to analyze the possibilities of pregnancy through this assistive reproductive technique, covering the criteria involved that render it highly successful for people aged below 35. Going forward, there are listed specific factors that can either positively influence or negatively impact the success of IVF-assisted pregnancy in the concerned age group.     

IVF Success Rate For Women Aged Below 35

The Society for Reproductive Technology (SART) has mentioned that the percentage of success for IVF-assisted pregnancy in women below 35 years is 55.6%. It is also reasonable to mention here that based on the eggs retrieved from the woman’s ovaries, live births for first embryo transfer come to around 41.4%, whereas, it is 47% for later embryo transfer, as was stated in a previous article. One can also add here that compared to those aged 35 and above, women below 35 enjoy the greatest advantage when opting for IVF-assisted conception. This is again because of the success rate, which has come to around 70-80%, and it must be noted here that India boasts considerable success in this regard.

As a side note, the possibility of conception with IVF even after the fallopian tubes are tied, blocked, or damaged is high because this assisted reproductive technique involves the embryo transfer from the lab directly into the uterine wall through a transvaginal approach. However, as should be repeated, couples aged below 35 can undeniably benefit from this procedure, for it is deemed 100% successful and safe in their case.

Factors Affecting Success Rate of IVF Under 35

Specific factors determine the success rate of IVF for couples aged under 35 and these include:

Age

This is the most decisive factor influencing the success rate of IVF. Sources have revealed that women between 24 to 34 years are highly fertile. However, as they reach 40, the rate of success with IVF-assisted conception drops.

Eggs, Sperm, and Embryo Quality

Though eggs taken from a woman opting for IVF influence the IVF success rate by 55.6%, it is their quality that mostly determines the success of this procedure. In addition to the eggs, the sperm extracted (either from the donor or from an IVF candidate’s spouse) should also pass the quality test (especially in terms of their motility). The embryo resulting from fertilization is also included in the quality criteria. It would be also worth mentioning here that the quality of the eggs, embryos, and sperm is high for couples aged below 35. Beyond 35, specifically at ages 40 to 42, egg quantity diminishes, affecting its quality, and further reducing the reproductive potential of a woman (specifically).

History of Successful Pregnancy With IVF

Couples who have had successful pregnancy outcomes through in-vitro fertilization before are more likely to increase their chances of obtaining a second consecutive pregnancy through this procedure.

While the above-mentioned factors have been identified to positively influence IVF success rates for couples under 35, there have been recognized those, who can adversely impact the same. To date, these have included the following:

Uterine abnormalities

It has been noted that certain uterine abnormalities such as those resulting from embryological maldevelopment of the paramesonephric ducts are associated with pregnancy complications. Women with these issues can be exposed to pregnancy-related risks. 

Fibroid tumors

One of those potential risk factors affecting the success of pregnancy through in-vitro fertilization happens to be uterine fibroid tumors. It has also been learned that the submucosal fibroids detrimentally impact IVF success rates even for couples aged below 35.

Ovarian Dysfunction

Mostly characterized as primary ovarian insufficiency, ovarian dysfunction tends to occur in women in their 40s. Symptoms include irregular menstrual periods, ovaries ceasing to function and not producing enough estrogen or eggs, leading to primary ovarian failure. Fortunately, though, this rarely affects women below 35. 

Duration of time of failure with conception

Couples facing recurrent failures in trying to conceive are likely to experience the same through IVF-induced pregnancy. The highly known cause is the limited number of eggs retrieved from women aged above 30, affecting their fertilization potentials.     

Most of the complications arising from the IVF procedure and affecting the chances of success for couples aged below 35 have included the different protocols involved here. Of note, these have been included as follows:

Controlled Ovarian Stimulation Protocol

The type of fertility drugs to be administered within the controlled ovarian stimulation protocol significantly affects egg and embryo quality. This is also affected by specific genetic factors which tend to impact the success of the IVF procedure. Besides, the very fact that there exist several ovarian stimulation techniques, both the physician and the intended couple need to work hand-in-hand to select one that will provide the best pregnancy outcome. Again, it is all a matter of luck for the kind of stimulation protocol selected when considering the odds of failure to conceive through the IVF procedure.

Microflare GnRHA Protocols

The simultaneous administration of GnRH agonist and gonadotropin therapy tends to create a flare. This being stated, the microflare GnRHA Protocol happens to be a varied approach to the controlled COH stage in IVF. This is done to spike up the FSH release of the pituitary gland to increase the ovarian response to the gonadotropin drug as part of the microflare GNRHA protocol. this process increases the likelihood of reducing the quality of the eggs, especially in those whose ovaries are highly sensitive to the luteinizing hormone and older women who are easily susceptible to the risks of IVF-induced pregnancy failure.

Uterine/Endometrial Receptivity

The possibility of a healthy and successful pregnancy outcome facilitated through the IVF procedure is also dependent on determinants, such as uterine or endometrial receptivity, which, in turn, is affected by several subfactors, including mostly the thickness of the uterine lining, uterine cavity outline, and specific immunological factors. Simply stated, if there is less thickness, this will drastically impact pregnancy success through an assisted reproductive technique like the IVF procedure.

Conclusion

From the facts presented above, it could be concluded that couples below 35 hold higher success rates for becoming pregnant through the IVF procedure. However, such an acknowledgment does not go without understanding the risks related to some of the protocols associated with the procedure, such as controlled ovarian stimulation, microflare GnRHA, and uterine/endometrial receptivity. All these protocols have, therefore, been known to induce effects, which instead of delivering the best pregnancy outcomes, can indeed reverse the situation to limit their possibility.

For instance, the microflare GnRHA protocol has been understood to cause a ‘flare’ effect when trying to increase the ovarian response through the simultaneous administration of the gonadotropin therapy and the GnRH agonist, thus reducing the quality of the eggs. Nevertheless, since the likelihood of these risks is more common in women aged 40 and above due to the diminished egg count, those for couples aged below 35 are lesser, though cannot be ruled out. Of note, this is especially considering that the occurrence of live births in the latter through the IVF procedure is 47% with late embryo transfer with the overall success rate being 55.6%.