In Vitro Fertilization Essay Example

Current Status of IVF Many individuals are looking to alternatives in child bearing, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) being one of the most popular. IVF in the United States is a costly procedure. It can cost up to $12,000 for one attempt and that is not adding the cost of additional attempts should the first one fail. There are individuals who are in debt for $60,000 in attempting to get pregnant through IVF. Fertility treatments are now a hot commodity, especially in the global marketplace. Many women are looking to oversea options in having IVF done. One major factor in women going overseas is the price tag. IVF overseas is about ¼ of the price it is in the US. Price Tag of One Cycle of IVF (*Estimated prices, not including donor eggs or fertility drugs, based on costs from top clinics and converted to US dollars.)

Brief History of In Vitro Fertilization In Vitro Fertilization is a fertility procedure in which medical physicians remove eggs from the ovaries of a female, fertilize them in a laboratory, and then replace the embryos back into the female's uterus where they implant and mature. In Vitro literally mean "in glass" meaning the Petri dishes that the eggs are placed into for fertilization. This procedure first came into place in England about 25 years ago by the late Dr. Patrick Steptoe and Dr. Robert Edwards. The first successfully delivered baby through IVF is Louise Brown on July 25, 1978. She is considered the world's first "test tube baby." IVF was introduced, as a means to assist couples who were not successful in becoming pregnant. It has proven to be a successful means of having child for those couples who had ovulation disorders, unexplained fertility, endometriosis, and male factor problems. The IVF procedure is responsible for the birth of more than 500,000 healthy children around the world. While it may seem that IVF is the answer there are risks involved in this miracle procedure. It can be a psychologically