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Fertilization in vitro

IVF Success Rates Plummet for Women Over 43 Who Use Their Own Eggs

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As a woman ages, the chances of a successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) using her own eggs dwindle significantly. Researchers found that success rates for IVF using a woman's own eggs decline to below 5% for women 43 and older, a new study reveals. In contrast, more than one-third of treatments using donor eggs are successful across all age groups. This means that donor eggs often remain the only reliable option for achieving a successful pregnancy at older ages.

Key Takeaways:

  • Success rates for IVF using a woman's own eggs are below 5% for women 43 and older.
  • Over one-third of treatments using donor eggs are successful across all age groups, whereas only 5% of treatments using a woman's own eggs are successful for women 43 and older.
  • The age of the woman's eggs, not her age, is the determining factor in IVF success.
  • Donor eggs often remain the only reliable option for achieving a successful pregnancy at older ages.
  • Egg donation and egg freezing have limitations, making them insufficient to fully offset the fertility loss associated with delayed childbearing.
  • The study analyzed data from the U.K.'s Human Fertilization and Embryo Authority on all ART procedures carried out in licensed clinics between 1991 and 2018, covering more than 1.2 million treatment cycles and more than a half-million patients undergoing their first treatment.
  • Success rates using a woman's own eggs showed a clear age-related decline, plummeting after age 40.
  • By 2018, donor eggs accounted for more than half of ART births at age 43 to 44, and more than 90% among women 45 to 50.

Statistics:

  • Success rates for IVF using a woman's own eggs declined to below 5% for women 43 and older.
  • Over one-third of treatments using donor eggs are successful across all age groups.
  • The number of people turning to fertility treatments more than quadrupled, from around 6,000 in 1991 to nearly 25,000 by 2018.
  • Success rates nearly doubled, rising from about 15% to more than 28% during the same period.
  • Donor eggs accounted for more than half of ART births at age 43 to 44, and more than 90% among women 45 to 50 by 2018.

Sources:

  • HealthDay News, "IVF Success Rates Plummet for Women Over 43 Who Use Their Own Eggs", MONDAY, Oct. 27, 2025.
  • Population Studies journal.
  • Taylor & Francis, news release, Oct. 27, 2025.

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