Infertility is often referred to as ‘subfertility’ and vice versa but there is a big difference between the two.

Infertility means that there is 0% chance a person can have a baby naturally and IVF is the only way forward. For women this can range from reasons such as the menopause, to structural problems like blocked/missing fallopian tubes. Infertility in men most often means that they do not produce any sperm, or that the sperm that is being produced is unable to fertilise an egg.

Subfertility is much more common and can mean that a couple finds it more difficult to get pregnant naturally but IVF is not always necessary. For example, this might be because a woman has irregular periods or because a man’s sperm count is lower than average.

IVF for the fertile

Many people who have IVF treatment are fertile but still need a helping hand from science. Same sex female couples have a range of treatments available to them using donor sperm where either partner can provide the eggs and either partner can carry the baby. Same sex male couples face additional challenges because they need both donor eggs and a surrogate to carry the pregnancy.

IVF is also a useful tool for couples who carry a genetic abnormality but are otherwise fertile. It allows them to test the embryos for a inherited condition before the embryo implants to ensure the baby isn’t affected.