Results from one of the most exciting infertility trials were just published today.
When women are given their treatment options, we usually say, try fertility pills with insemination for 3 months then move to fertility shots with insemination for 3 months then go to IVF. We all know that IVF has the highest success rates.
The FASTT Trial was designed to evaluate whether women should skip the shots with insemination phase of treatment and go right to IVF.
Brilliant.
The researchers found that the women who went right to IVF after not getting pregnant with fertility pills and IUI had an increased pregnancy rate compared with the conventional arm of treatment
(pills–> shots –>IVF). Not only were the pregnancy rates much higher in the IVF group (as expected) but the women who were in the accelerated treatment group were pregnant 3 months earlier.
Skipping the fertility shots with IUI treatment option and going to IVF also showed to be cost effective. Average charges per delivery were $9,800 lower in the accelerated arm compared to conventional treatment. The observed incremental difference was a savings of $2,624 per couple for accelerated treatment.
Your infertility doctor does IVF best. She wants you to get pregnant in the most efficient way possible. Now you know why your doctor may want you to consider IVF sooner than later.
Read the full study here:
http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(09)00866-8/abstract
