Am I a Candidate for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve already answered the first, and most important, question when it comes to whether you’re a candidate for in vitro fertilization (IVF): You’re willing to go the extra mile when it comes to building the family of your dreams. 

IVF is an incredibly effective solution that’s helped millions of people overcome fertility issues of all kinds, and it may be able to do the same for you.

At NOVA IVF, as our name implies, our team of fertility specialists, led by Richard Schmidt, MD, and Meera Shah, MD,, specializes in IVF. We take pride in working with our clients to help them unlock their infertility issues. One of the more successful ways we go about this is through IVF.

Here’s a look at a few of the more common problems that we can solve through IVF.

Behind infertility

When it comes to infertility, approximately 12-13 couples out of 100 experience issues, and by “issues” we mean couples who’ve had unprotected sex for 12 months or more with no pregnancy.

In a third of cases, the problem lies with the woman, while fertility issues in men account for another third. Making up the final third are issues that stem from both the man and the woman or the infertility is for reasons unknown.

Whatever the reasons behind your inability to conceive, the good news is that we have a solution with IVF.

When IVF is appropriate

If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, our first step is to figure out the underlying cause. The reproductive systems in both men and women are incredibly complex, and there’s a lot that can go awry.

For example, the following conditions in women can have a direct effect on their ability to conceive:

• Problems with ovulation
• Endometriosis
• Dysfunctional fallopian tubes
• Uterine fibroids
• Decreased egg production

In some cases, a woman may have undergone a tubal ligation but wants to get pregnant after the procedure, in which case we can bypass the ligation through IVF.

If the fertility issue lies with the man, it’s typically due to problems with the sperm, including low count, poor movement, or irregularly shaped sperm. With IVF, we can easily overcome these issues.

Again, the first order of business is to identify the underlying cause of the infertility so we can decide whether IVF is appropriate. That said, in most of the cases we outlined above, IVF is a valid option with a 25-65% success rate.

IVF under unique circumstances

IVF is also a great tool for helping to build families under unique circumstances. For example, for lesbian couples, this treatment path offers several advantages because we can use the eggs from either partner — or even both partners. 

In fact, we offer reciprocal IVF where we use one partner’s eggs to create the embryo and then implant that embryo in the uterus of the other partner.

IVF is also an effective tool for surrogate situations. For example, if a woman can’t support a pregnancy for health reasons, we can use IVF to implant an embryo in a surrogate. 

And gay men who have a surrogate can turn to IVF, which allows us to use the sperm of one or both partners.

Whatever your unique situation, we’re here to help with the fertility part of the equation to ensure that you’re able to create the family of your dreams. To learn more about our IVF services, please contact our office in Mountain View, California, to set up a consultation.