Success rates
How to read success rates, without the spin
Every clinic wants to show you a big number. This guide explains what those numbers really measure, so you can compare any clinic fairly, including us.
Our promise
At your first consult, your doctor shows you our most recent published results for people your age and with your diagnosis, and explains exactly how they were counted. Ask us anything.
Why one number misleads
It depends on who you count
A fertility journey has several steps, and some people stop at each one. A rate measured late in the process leaves those people out, so it looks higher. The same clinic can honestly report very different numbers depending on where it starts counting.
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Cycles started Everyone who began injections
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Egg retrievals Leaves out cycles stopped early
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Embryo transfers Leaves out cycles with no embryo to transfer
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Positive pregnancy tests Not yet a birth
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Live births The number that matters most
Six fair questions
Ask these about any clinic's numbers
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01
Per what, exactly?
A rate can be counted per cycle started, per egg retrieval, or per embryo transfer. Each step later in the process leaves out people who did not get that far, so the number looks higher. Make sure you compare the same thing.
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02
Pregnancy, or baby?
A positive pregnancy test is not the same as a live birth. The most useful number is live births. If a clinic only shows pregnancy rates, ask for live birth rates too.
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03
For people like me?
Age changes everything. A clinic-wide average mixes 30-year-olds with 43-year-olds. Look at the age group that matches yours, and ask about results for your diagnosis.
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04
How many cycles?
A small clinic reporting a handful of cycles can swing a lot from year to year. Bigger numbers are steadier. Look at how many cycles stand behind each rate.
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05
Who did the clinic treat?
A clinic that turns away harder cases can post higher rates. Ask whether the clinic treats people with low egg supply, older patients, and complex diagnoses.
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06
One transfer, or the whole cycle?
A cumulative rate counts every transfer from one retrieval, including frozen embryos used later. It often reflects real life better than a single-transfer number.
Where to look
Numbers checked by someone else
In the United States, IVF clinics report their outcomes to national systems that publish them clinic by clinic. These reports use the same rules for everyone, which makes fair comparison much easier than any clinic's own website.
The CDC's national ART report
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collects IVF data from nearly every US clinic and publishes results by clinic and by age group. Reports lag a couple of years behind, so look at the most recent one available.
SART clinic summary reports
The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology publishes clinic summary reports for its member clinics, including cumulative results that count frozen transfers from the same retrieval.
A gentle reminder Published rates describe groups of people, not you. Your doctor's estimate, based on your own age and test results, will always be more useful than any average.
For your consult
Five questions to bring with you
Write them down or screenshot this list. A good clinic will be glad you asked.
- 1 What is your live birth rate for people my age, per cycle started?
- 2 How many cycles is that number based on?
- 3 Do you include frozen transfers from the same retrieval?
- 4 How do people with my diagnosis tend to do here?
- 5 Do you ever turn away patients with lower chances?
Start your journey
See our results for people like you, at your first consult.
Your doctor walks you through our most recent published results for your age group and diagnosis, and how they were counted. No pressure to start anything.
No referral needed. In person or virtual first consults.