Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is the umbrella term for medical procedures that involve handling eggs, sperm, or embryos outside the body to achieve pregnancy. This includes in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), intrauterine insemination (IUI), donor egg and donor sperm cycles, embryo transfer, and gestational surrogacy. Insurance documents, fertility clinic literature, and public health data all use ART as the standard classification.
ART procedures are bypass technologies. They work around reproductive barriers without investigating or treating the underlying cause. A woman with undiagnosed endometriosis who undergoes IVF still has endometriosis. A couple with undiagnosed male factor who pursues IUI still has an undiagnosed male factor. The conception method changes. The underlying condition does not.
RRM is not ART. The two approaches reflect opposite premises. ART proceeds from the assumption that the body cannot succeed and builds technology around that assumption. RRM asks why the body has not succeeded, then treats the answer. These are different questions, not competing techniques.
ART live-birth rates vary substantially by maternal age, diagnosis, and clinic. Per CDC and HFEA annual reporting, national averages for fresh non-donor IVF cycles decline sharply after age 35. Patients deserve accurate, age-stratified outcome data before consenting to any ART procedure.
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult an RRM clinician or healthcare provider for guidance specific to your situation.