7 myths about IVF that needlessly demonize it

Almost 50 years have passed since the birth of the first test tube baby. Since then, about eight million children have been born thanks to assisted reproductive technologies. But in society, IVF is still sometimes perceived as something harmful, unnatural and even dangerous. We asked a reproductive specialist to sort out common myths about IVF.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a method of infertility treatment in which conception literally occurs “outside the body,” in the laboratory. The woman’s egg is taken, and the man’s sperm is taken. The embryo is then cultured and transferred into the uterine cavity of the expectant mother. IVF is indicated for infertility for various reasons : due to the absence of fallopian tubes, due to genetic abnormalities and more.

Myth #1: IVF causes cancer

Most likely, this statement is based on the sad stories of stars who became pregnant through IVF, and soon after that received an oncological diagnosis: Zhanna Friske, Anastasia Zavorotnyuk and others. But all these cases can be combined according to the principle “after does not mean as a result.”

The fact is that many diseases leading to infertility are a priori associated with an increased risk of cancer. For example, endometriosis can increase the likelihood of uterine cancer , and anovulation can increase the likelihood of ovarian cancer. In addition, pregnancy itself can cause unpredictable changes in the body, no matter how the conception took place. There is evidence that women who have their first child after 30 have an increased risk of breast cancer compared to their childless counterparts.

But reproductive technologies have absolutely nothing to do with it: there is not a single study that would prove the connection between cancer and IVF. But there are scientific works demonstrating the opposite. Thus, undergoing six or more cycles of stimulation does not in any way affect the risk of breast cancer. Another study showed that 87,000 patients in Israeli reproductive clinics had no risk of developing cancer after IVF.

Myth No. 2: “ECO” children are different

Some are sure that test tube babies grow up to be child prodigies, others that they are constantly sick, and still others that such children are not even fully human. There is nothing to do with reality here. “ECO-friendly” boys and girls are no different from their peers. And it’s easy to explain. In the laboratory, specialists do exactly the same thing that happens during natural conception – they fertilize the egg with a sperm. And after embryo transfer, pregnancy develops in a completely normal way.

A large study two years ago found that there is only one difference: babies conceived in a laboratory weigh 200–300 grams less at birth. But this difference completely disappears by adolescence. There is also evidence that IVF babies are 1–2% more likely to have developmental defects. But the reason is not the method of fertilization, but the age of the parents. After all, couples 35+ usually turn to assisted reproductive technologies.

Another misconception is that children born as a result of IVF, when they grow up, will also not be able to conceive a child themselves. Here you can remember that Louise Brown, the world’s first “test tube baby,” became pregnant on her own without any problems in one attempt.

Myth No. 3: IVF drugs destroy health

We are talking about supposedly “terrible” hormones that stimulate the ovaries. Here’s how it works: in each menstrual cycle , a woman only produces one egg, but this is not enough for successful IVF. You need to get 10–15 eggs – this will allow you to make several attempts, because not all cells are of good quality. To achieve this, the patient is prescribed hormonal drugs – they cause superovulation. You need to take them yourself and at the same time lead your normal lifestyle. Modern medications have no side effects, except for minor swelling and increased appetite. But all this disappears without a trace after the course ends.

Scientists have not found a connection between ovarian stimulation and an increased risk of endocrine and other disorders in women. The drugs work for a short period of time, and then completely leave the body and do not disturb the hormonal balance in any way. And by the way, hormonal balance is a very dubious concept. For women, it changes almost every day for a month.

Myth No. 4: IVF always gives birth to twins

There is some truth in this – at least there was 20 years ago. The fact is that at the dawn of IVF, technologies were imperfect, and doctors transferred two embryos (or even more!) into the uterine cavity, hoping that at least one would take root. Of course, often everyone got along. But today, when medicine has made great progress, we do not need to put patients at risk. After all, multiple pregnancy is not only great happiness, but also the danger of premature birth, cardiovascular complications and more.

According to modern standards, doctors select the healthiest and most viable embryo and use it for transfer. Of course, if the couple wishes, two can be transferred – but you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons.

Myth No. 5: IVF allows you to make children “to order”

“Designer kids” is a popular science fiction plot, but it has nothing to do with real life. For IVF, PGT (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) is often used: several cells are taken from the resulting embryos for analysis, and then tested for carriage of various diseases and mutations. This procedure is indicated for “adult” couples, couples with genetic disorders and more. After all, with the help of PGT it is possible to determine which embryo is the healthiest and best suited for transfer. And thereby relieve patients, who have already suffered in the struggle with infertility, from the prospect of an unsuccessful pregnancy.

But using IVF it is impossible to program the color of eyes, hair, the height of the unborn child, and so on. Moreover, according to Russian laws, it is also impossible to choose the sex of the baby. This is allowed only for strict medical reasons, for example, if some mutations are inherited in a couple along the female or male line.

Myth No. 6: If you do IVF once, you will have to do it again later.

Every sixth person in the world faces infertility , and its causes cannot always be determined. Of course, if a woman does not have fallopian tubes, she will always have to resort to IVF to become pregnant. But every fifth patient after the first “in vitro conception” becomes pregnant on her own . The point may be quality treatment or the fact that after the first birth the mother feels more confident and her stress level decreases. Yes, this is very important for conception!

Myth #7: IVF is a last resort

Unfortunately, many couples who are unable to conceive a child put off going to a fertility specialist until the last minute: they try “grandmother’s” methods and alternative medicine, or simply wait for years. But time is the main risk factor when it comes to fertility.

After age 35, women’s chances of getting pregnant naturally decrease, and by age 40, the success rate is only 5–7%. Therefore, a consultation with a good doctor is needed after six months of attempts, if you are 30 years old or older. There is no need to be afraid of this: modern medicine really works wonders and gives happiness to parenthood, even in cases that until recently were considered hopeless.