What age is IVF most successful? Chances of success 32% for women under 35. 25% for women aged 35 to 37. 19% for women aged 38 to 39. 11% for women aged 40 to 42. 5% for women aged 43 to 44. 4% for women aged over 44.A woman’s age is the main factor affecting the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Particularly after the mid-30s, and especially over the age of 40, IVF success rates start to drop off, in part due to the natural age-related decline in both egg quantity and quality as a woman ages. Further illustrating this point, a 2022 study found that the clinical pregnancy rate for women under 30 who’d undergone an embryo transfer was 69.4%, whereas for women ages 40 to 43, that figure declined to 9.4%. That said, age isn’t the only factor at play when it comes to success in IVF, which is defined as a live birth. Here’s a look at what else may play a role in IVF success. IVF is a form of fertility treatment in which an egg is fertilized in a laboratory with sperm. During IVF, the ovaries are stimulated to produce multiple eggs and then the eggs are removed from a person’s ovaries during an egg retrieval. After the retrieval, sperm is placed with mature eggs in the laboratory in order to fertilize them and create embryos. From there, an embryo is transferred back into the uterus, where it will hopefully develop and grow, resulting in the birth of a baby. Why Use IVF? A major reason why someone might turn to IVF is due to infertility. Infertility can be due to blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, complications of endometriosis or ovulatory problems. IVF may also be used in instances of male factor infertility, such as a low sperm count or a blockage. “IVF is used when simpler fertility treatments just haven’t been successful—it’s sort of the next step up with a greater success rate,” says Valerie Baker, M.D., director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility and a professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins, based out of Lutherville, Maryland. Further, same-sex couples may turn to IVF in order to conceive, as IVF can be done using your own egg or sperm or that of a donor. IVF may also be used among people who carry serious genetic disorders that they would like to avoid passing on, in which case they could opt for preimplantation genetic screening to avoid using an embryo that carries a particular gene. Additionally, individuals would rely on IVF to conceive if they had previously frozen their eggs. IVF Success Rates by Age IVF success rates generally decline as the age of the person whose eggs are being used increases. In preliminary data for 2021, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) reported the following numbers of live births per intended egg retrieval across age groups spanning from under 35 to over 42 years of age[2]. AGE LIVE BIRTHS PER EGG RETRIEVAL (ALL EMBRYO TRANSFERS) Under age 35 44.5% Ages 35-37 32.4% Ages 38-40 20.2% Ages 41-42 9.6% Over age 42 2.9% IVF success rates using donor eggs are usually higher compared to older patients using their own eggs, assuming the donor eggs were from a younger woman. It’s also important to remember that the risks to both the mother and the baby are higher when the mother is older at the time of pregnancy. Success With Fresh vs. Frozen Embryos “Historically, frozen embryos were associated with a lower success rate because the freeze and thaw methods were not as good and also because we were freezing embryos of lower quality. These methods have evolved a lot, such that now the fresh and frozen embryos are very comparable,” says Dr. Baker. In SART’s preliminary data from its 2021 national report, for instance, it found that the transfer of fresh donor eggs resulted in a 41.4% live birth rate, whereas the transfer of frozen eggs had a rate of 39.1%.