State of the ART: Assisted Reproductive Technologies in the United States

Abstract

This review provides a brief look at the state of the assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in the United States in 2016. In 2013, the most recent year for which data are available through the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 190 773 total cycles of ART. Live births ranged from 40.1 % per cycle initiated in women younger than 35 years to 4.5% live births per cycle initiated in women older than 42 years. US clinics must report their outcomes to the CDC. Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology clinics must report through the SART, which maintains rigorous quality assurance and validation programs. Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology member clinics must abide by minimum standards set by the SART and the ASRM, which include educational and other requirements for professionals participating in in vitro fertilization programs as well as standards for the laboratories. Assisted reproductive technology in the United States is a highly regulated field on a voluntary basis with excellent clinical results.