IVF patients are being given false hope that “add-on” treatment options costing up to $3,700 will improve their chances of conceiving, a survey by the Women’s has found.
One in seven couples in Australia struggle to conceive and the chance of having a baby from one IVF cycle is about 30 per cent. This has created a market for additional procedures, techniques and medicines in what is already a costly and emotional experience.
The survey of 1,590 women who had IVF in Australia between 2017-2020 found that 82 per cent had used one or more add-ons during their IVF treatment.
The most common of these were:
- acupuncture
- preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), and
- Chinese herbal medicine.
Lead Researcher Dr Sarah Lensen said more than half of the women surveyed had learned about add-ons from their fertility specialist, while around 12 per cent heard of them through friends and family.
“Some of these options cost thousands of dollars, and many patients use them and still don’t fall pregnant,” Dr Lensen said. “Many women reported experiencing regret at their decision to use an add-on, especially when their IVF treatment was unsuccessful.”
The research found IVF add-ons were common in Australia, but IVF patients often did not realise that many treatments had not been proven to increase the chances of having a baby from IVF.
“People having IVF should have access to accurate information about the evidence-base for these treatment options when they are making decisions about whether or not to use them,” Dr Lensen said.
A resource is needed to help IVF patients in their decision making. The Women’s research team plans to develop a website to provide accurate, up-to-date information about the evidence for add-on treatments.
“The website will be co-designed with IVF patients and clinicians to ensure it covers all aspects of importance,” Dr Lensen said. This research was published in Human Reproduction.