Treatment period and medical care costs to achieve the first live birth by assisted reproductive technology are lower in the single embryo transfer period than in the double embryo transfer period: a retrospective analysis of women younger than 40 years of age

Aim It was examined whether the single embryo transfer policy makes the treatment period longer for couples to achieve their first live birth by assisted reproductive technology. Methods This study retrospectively analyzed women who started assisted reproductive technology at younger than 40 years of age in the authors' organization. The treatment periods for couples to achieve the first live birth by assisted reproductive technology, between the women who started assisted reproductive technology from 2004 to 2009 (the double embryo transfer period group, n=250), in which the double embryo transfer was predominant, and the women who started assisted reproductive technology from 2010 to 2015 (the single embryo transfer period group, n=298), in which the single embryo transfer was predominant, were compared. Results The age at the start of assisted reproductive technology, pregnancy rate per embryo transfer, and rate of women who achieved a live birth by assisted reproductive technology per number of women who tried assisted reproductive technology were all significantly higher in the single embryo transfer period group. Among the women who achieved a live birth by assisted reproductive technology, the incidence of multiple births and severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, the treatment period, and medical care costs needed to achieve the first live birth were all significantly lower in the single embryo transfer period group. Conclusion In the single embryo transfer period group, those women who were younger than 40 years of age achieved their first live birth by assisted reproductive technology more safely, quickly, and reasonably.