Open AccessWhy is use of donor eggs not viewed as treatment failure? A call for improvements in treatments with autologous oocytes
Author(s) -
Norbert Gleicher,
David H. Barad,
Eli Y. Adashi
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of assisted reproduction and genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1573-7330
pISSN - 1058-0468
DOI - 10.1007/s10815-020-01847-x
Subject(s) - in vitro fertilisation , donation , egg donation , oocyte donation , oocyte , abandonment (legal) , medicine , reproductive medicine , human fertilization , gynecology , andrology , biology , pregnancy , embryo , political science , genetics , law , microbiology and biotechnology , anatomy
Based on national registry reports, after age 42, the number of IVF cycles utilizing autologous oocytes is very small; after age 43, autologous oocyte use in US IVF cycles is almost non-existent. We here argue that the in vitro fertilization (IVF) field has created a self-fulfilling prophecy by basically abandoning the utilization of autologous oocytes after ages 42-43 years. This not only resulted in almost no IVF cycles with autologous oocytes being performed but also in abandonment of research that could lead to improvements in IVF outcomes in older women when using autologous oocytes. As a consequence, IVF has largely stagnated in this area. We further argue that third-party oocyte donation in clinical IVF should be considered a treatment failure, as it requires patients to choose a second rather than a first-choice treatment. Such a redesignation of third-party egg donation would not only be appropriate but could lead to necessary changes in physician attitudes, considering that women almost exclusively prefer to conceive with their autologous oocytes.