Assisted reproductive technologies have led to the birth of over 8 million people globally since the first baby was born using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in 1978. However, IVF remains prohibitively expensive for most, with only a third of patients achieving a successful live birth. Furthermore, fertility treatments are rarely covered by insurance, and equitable access and affordability remain the biggest barriers to IVF.
Technology can help to overcome these issues by optimising clinical care and improving the patient experience during fertility treatments. For example, electronic witnessing systems using barcodes to track sperm, eggs and embryos, robotic cryopreservation systems and artificial intelligence-led tools can improve reproductive health. New advancements in embryology laboratory, at-home testing and monitoring and AI are building on past technologies to improve quality of care and clinic efficiencies. Nonetheless, age and limitations of human biology still pose challenges to the evolution of the IVF process. Sophisticated reproductive health technologies offer opportunities to push fertility health forward, and moving to a patient-centric approach and clinic-to-patient collaboration can lead to a more supported, holistic and positive IVF experience.
