The work-up, before any technique
No clinic should offer a technique before understanding why pregnancy is not happening. The work-up is
short and is always done as a couple.
- For her: early-cycle hormone levels (FSH, LH, oestradiol), anti-Müllerian hormone as
a marker of ovarian reserve, pelvic ultrasound with antral follicle count, and a tubal patency test by
hysterosalpingography or hysterosonography.
- For him: semen analysis, repeated after three months because a single result means
little, plus a sperm preparation test if IVF is contemplated.
- For both: serology, blood group, and where indicated a karyotype or a search for Y
chromosome microdeletions.
The ten techniques, one by one
Each technique has its own page: who it is for, how it actually goes, what it yields and what it costs. They are listed in the order they are usually offered, from the simplest to the heaviest.
Risks worth knowing
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: the most feared complication, now rare thanks to
antagonist protocols and agonist triggering, but it can be serious. A swelling abdomen, rapid weight gain
or breathlessness after collection means calling the clinic at once.
- Multiple pregnancy: the real risk of assisted reproduction, much reduced by single
embryo transfer.
- Collection complications: bleeding and infection, both rare.
- Ectopic pregnancy: possible even with IVF, more likely with previous tubal damage.
- The psychological toll: the most common complication, and the least supported.
Eligibility, donation and clinics vary by country
Who may be treated, what is funded, how and where to donate gametes, how long embryos may be stored:
all of this is national law. The country pages on the main article give the detail, including the leading
centres.
Page checked in September 2026. The instruments cited can change: if in doubt, confirm with the official source given.
