Finally, the woman s body must provide a supportive environment for the developing embryo. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine estimates that 6.1 million people in the U.S. are affected by infertility. About one-third of cases are caused by male factors, such as low sperm counts or poor quality sperm. One-third of cases are caused by female factors, such as ovulation problems, blocked fallopian tubes, or abnormalities of the reproductive system. The remaining cases of infertility are caused by a combination of problems in the man and woman.
Doctors remove eggs from the woman and sperm from the man.
Then eggs and sperm are placed together where, hopefully, some will unite. The fertilized eggs are placed in a special culture or growing medium in a Petri dish. Ideally, at least one of those fertilized eggs develops into a successful pregnancy. The first IVF was performed in the U.S. in 1981 at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School. Since then more than 45,000 American babies have been born through the procedure.