When talking about assisted reproductive technology—often abbreviated ART—we usually think of in vitro fertilization (IVF) first. But ART encompasses more than just IVF. Here, we cover different ART methods as well as artificial insemination (AI). Get ready for lots of acronyms!
What is the difference between ART and AI?
ART is an umbrella term that includes a variety of treatments meant to assist in conception. It always involves the handling of eggs, embryos, or both but does not include exclusive handling of sperm [1]. That is why we refer to AI separately from ART, as AI only involves the handling of sperm and not of the egg.
Which treatments fall under the ART umbrella?
The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) lists the following as ART treatments [2, 3]:
in-vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), where the egg is fertilized outside the body and then transferred to the uterus
gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), where the sperm and egg are transferred to the fallopian tubes and fertilize in the body
zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), where the lab-fertilized zygote is transferred to the fallopian tubes
frozen embryo transfer (FET)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also includes intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in its list of ART. With ICSI, a single sperm is injected into a mature egg, versus placing an egg with many sperm in a Petri dish [3]. It is often used in cases of known male factor infertility.
About 99% of ART treatments performed are IVF-ET, as reported to SART [2].
What is AI?
AI is now commonly categorized as intrauterine insemination (IUI). The CDC reports that IUI tends to be recommended to couples that have unexplained fertility issues or mild male factor infertility [3]. IUI involves introducing semen directly into the uterus to increase the chances of conception.
While IVF involves fertilizing the egg outside a woman’s body, IUI attempts to fertilize the egg within her body.
What is the success rate of IVF and ART?
The success rate depends on several factors, notably the mother’s age [2, 3]. The CDC provides updated success rates and an IVF Success Estimator tool [3], which collects information such as age, weight, prior pregnancy information, and other data to give a general estimate of an individual’s potential success rate using IVF.
What are the risks of IVF and ART?
IVF and ART often require a woman to receive or self-inject medications to assist with ovulation. These can cause nausea, vomiting, mood swings, breast tenderness, and injection site side effects such as redness, bruising, or irritation. In addition, egg harvesting can result in pelvic pain, infection, or, in some cases, injury to organs that are close to the ovaries. Though uncommon, these injuries can be serious and require surgery [4].
There is no increased risk of miscarriage with IVF, though there is an increased chance of ectopic pregnancy [4].
Multiple pregnancy is common with ART, though the likelihood has decreased with the evolution of technology and medical treatments [2].
