Everything you need to know about fertility treatments, appointments, costs, insurance and what to expect - all in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about fertility treatments, appointments, costs, insurance and what to expect - all in one place.
Find answers to common questions about our fertility treatments and services.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a fertility treatment where eggs and sperm are combined in a laboratory to create embryos, which are then carefully placed into the uterus to achieve pregnancy.
IVF is used when natural conception is not possible, or unlikely to occur due to blocked tubes, low sperm count, PCOS, endometriosis, advanced age, or unexplained infertility.
Not always - many couples can conceive with simpler treatments such as lifestyle changes, fertility medications, or procedures like IUI, depending on the cause of infertility.
At your first visit, the doctor will assess your health and fertility history. This includes your menstrual cycles, past pregnancies or treatments, lifestyle factors, and any health conditions. Basic tests are often suggested—such as blood tests and an ultrasound for the woman, and a semen analysis for the man. These help the doctor evaluate fertility health. Some tests to assess the fitness to carry a pregnancy may also be suggested.
In India, the ART law prescribes age limits. IVF can be done for women from the age of 21 to 50 years and for a man from the age of 21 to 55 years.
Yes. Single women can undergo other fertility treatments with donor semen such as intrauterine insemination (IUI). They can also have IVF with a donor semen. Single women can also be recipients of an egg donor treatment cycle.
Yes, eggs/sperms/embryos can be frozen before surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. IVF can be an option for fertility preservation in some cancer patients who may be at risk of losing fertility due to such treatments
Age is one of the most important factors in fertility. A woman’s natural fertility starts to decline and IVF success rates also become lower as age advances because the number and quality of eggs decrease. This doesn’t mean pregnancy is impossible - many women conceive at later ages with the right medical support (or occasionally even on their own!) - but chances are generally higher when treatment is started earlier.
Yes, it causes irregular ovulation or even no ovulation at all, which can make it harder to conceive naturally; fertility treatments can help.
Yes. Endometriosis can interfere with fertility by affecting the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and/or the pelvic environment. This can make it harder for eggs to be released, fertilized, or implanted.
IUI is a simple fertility treatment where the male partner gives a semen sample in the laboratory and it is then processed, so that the prepared and selected sperms are placed directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation. This helps the sperm reach the egg more easily and increases the chances of fertilisation.
ICSI is an advanced IVF technique where a single, healthy sperm is carefully injected into an egg under a microscope. It’s often used when sperm count, movement, or quality is very low, or when previous fertilization attempts have failed.
Cryopreservation is the process of freezing eggs, sperm, or embryos for future use.
The most common reasons for freezing embryos are:
A blastocyst transfer is when embryos are grown in the lab for five days after fertilisation until they reach the blastocyst stage - a more advanced phase of development. At this stage, embryos have a higher chance of implanting successfully in the uterus, which can improve pregnancy rates compared to transfers done on day 3 after fertilisation.
It’s a lab procedure where the outer shell of the embryo (called the zona pellucida) is gently thinned or opened to help the embryo implant more easily in the uterus.
It’s an advanced lab technology that continuously captures images of embryos as they grow in the incubator. This allows embryologists to track their development in real time without disturbing them and helps select the healthiest, most viable embryos for transfer.
This treatment uses embryos created from donor eggs and donor sperm. It’s an option for couples where both partners have fertility challenges in terms of producing healthy gametes (eggs and sperms) or for single individuals who need both donor gametes to achieve pregnancy.
A woman carries a baby for another couple when the intended mother cannot carry a pregnancy. In India, only altruistic surrogacy is legally allowed, which means the surrogate is usually a close relative, and she does it without receiving payment beyond medical expenses and insurance coverage.
PGT is a short form for the term Preimplantation Genetic Testing. This refers to the process of genetically testing embryos or blastocysts before they are placed into the uterus.The purpose of such testing is to avoid transferring embryos which have a specific disease gene or to avoid transferring embryos that have genetic errors which can result in failed implantation or miscarriage.
Infertility is a medical condition, just like diabetes or high blood pressure. It is never anyone's "fault." It is a health issue that can be diagnosed and, in many cases, successfully treated with the right medical care and support.
While some underlying causes of infertility can be corrected or "cured" (like surgically fixing a varicocele or a blocked tube), it's more helpful to think in terms of "treatment." Modern fertility treatments like IUI and IVF are designed to overcome the barriers preventing conception, allowing many couples to achieve a successful pregnancy.
While everyday stress is not a direct cause of infertility, chronic high levels of stress can affect hormones that regulate your menstrual cycle and ovulation. The journey of trying to conceive is itself stressful if the trying time has been long, and learning to manage it is an important part of the process.
For the female partner, initial tests often involve blood tests to check hormone levels and an ultrasound to look at the uterus and ovaries. For the male partner, the foundational test is a semen analysis to check sperm health.
Yes. While regular periods are a good sign that you are likely ovulating, they do not guarantee fertility. Other factors, such as blocked fallopian tubes, uterine issues, or male factor infertility, could still be preventing pregnancy.
Male infertility is very common and is the contributing factor in roughly 50% of all infertility cases in India and worldwide. It is crucial to break the social stigma around this and ensure the male partner is always included in the fertility evaluation from the very beginning.
Not at all. A diagnosis of "unexplained infertility" simply means standard tests didn't pinpoint the exact issue. Many couples with this diagnosis go on to have successful pregnancies with the help of treatments like oral tablets to enhance ovulation or IUI or IVF, which can overcome many unknown barriers.
While your gynaecologist is a great starting point, if you meet the criteria for infertility (trying for 12/6 months), it is best to consult a Fertility Specialist if the tests show something out of the way or if initial treatments don’t work . These doctors, also known as Reproductive Endocrinologists, have specialized training in diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of male and female infertility.
