Some women have less medicated forms of IVF, either because they can’t take fertility drugs or they don’t want to. This page introduces you to your options for having IVF with no or fewer fertility drugs.
Who might have IVF with fewer or no fertility drugs?
You may be suitable for a less medicated form of IVF if you are unable to take fertility drugs. This may be for a medical cause such as if you're:
- at risk of ovarian hyper-stimulation (OHSS) - a dangerous over-reaction to fertility drugs
- a cancer patient and fertility drugs might make your condition worse. For example, breast cancer patients may be unable to take certain drugs that would increase their oestrogen levels if their cancer is sensitive to oestrogen.
You may also hold religious beliefs which mean you don’t want any leftover eggs or embryos to be destroyed or frozen.
What are my options for having a less medicated form of IVF?
The three main approaches to IVF that involve no or fewer drugs are natural cycle IVF, mild stimulation IVF and in vitro maturation (IVM).
Natural cycle IVF:Natural cycle IVF involves no fertility drugs at all. The one egg you release as part of your normal monthly cycle is taken and mixed with sperm as with conventional IVF. You’ll then continue with IVF treatment as normal. As your ovaries aren’t being stimulated, you can try again sooner than with standard IVF if you wish.
You’re also less likely to have a multiple pregnancy (twins or triplets) than standard IVF and you’ll avoid all the risks and side effects of fertility drugs.
Post time: Dec-05-2022