How common is infertility and IVF?
More than six million people in the United States are affected by infertility. While there are a number of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) available to infertile couples, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is by far the most utilized of these methods. In fact, IVF accounts for more than 99 percent of all ART procedures and is the oldest ART procedure with the first baby born in 1978. IVF was introduced in the United States in 1981 and from 1985 through 2000 and more than 139,000 births of babies conceived through IVF. Through the end of 2002, almost 300,000 babies have been born in the US as a result of reported ART procedures.
