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Age and Infertility

AGE AND INFERTILITY

There are limited options for treating older women who are menopausal or perimenopausal. Older usually respond poorly to ovarian stimulation and the live birth rates even with IVF and other treatment like GIFT or super ovulation with timed Intra Uterine Insemination [SO/IUI] are significantly lower than with younger women. Other options of treatment include: In order to improve the success rate of IVF treatment in older women, assisted hatching, blastocyst embryo transfer, preimplantation diagnosis are recommended. Further more, in developing countries the transfer of high number of embryos is recommended

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Women over 40, or with evidence of early menopause [premature ovarian failure] egg donation is the option. Eggs from a younger woman are likey to result in pregnancy and less likely to end in miscarriage even when carried by an older woman [link- egg donation].

If the male partner also has a sperm problem embryo donation is a right option (link- Egg donation )

A surrogate is a woman who agrees to become pregnant for a couple using the male partner’s sperm and her own egg (traditional surrogate) or using the male partner’s sperm and the female partner’s egg (gestational surrogate) (link – surrogacy )

Another option for having a family is adoption. Agencies have different rules regarding age and are now more receptive to older couples. There are generally no age restrictions for private adoptions.

It is important that couples consider the options of remaining child free if they are unable to have their own child or if they decide to forego infertility treatment.