Assisted reproductive technology and intrauterine inseminations in Europe, 2005: results generated from European registers by ESHRE: ESHRE. The European IVF Monitoring Programme (EIM), for the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)

Results of assisted reproductive techniques from treatments initiated in Europe during 2005 are presented in this ninth report. Data were mainly collected from existing national registers.

From 30 countries, 923 clinics reported 418 111 treatment cycles including: IVF (118 074), ICSI (203 329), frozen embryo replacement (79 140), oocyte donation (ED, 11 475), preimplantation genetic diagnosis/screening (5846) and in vitro maturation (247). Overall, this represents a 13.6% increase since 2004, partly due to inclusion of 28 417 cycles from Turkey. European data on intrauterine insemination using husband/partner's semen (IUI-H) and donor semen (IUI-D) were reported from 21 countries and included 128 908 IUI-H and 20 568 IUI-D cycles.

In 16 countries where all clinics reported to the IVF register, 1115 cycles were performed per million inhabitants. For IVF, the clinical pregnancy rates per aspiration and per transfer were 26.9% and 30.3%, respectively. For ICSI, the corresponding rates were 28.5% and 30.9%. After IUI-H, the clinical pregnancy rate was 12.6% per insemination in women <40. After IVF and ICSI, the distribution of transfer of one, two, three and four or more embryos was 20.0%, 56.1%, 21.5% and 2.3%, respectively. Huge differences exist between countries. The distribution of singleton, twin and triplet deliveries after IVF and ICSI was 78.2%, 21.0% and 0.8%, respectively. This gives a total multiple delivery rate of 21.8% compared with 22.7% in 2004 and 23.1% in 2003. In women <40 years of age, IUI-H was associated with a twin and triplet pregnancy rate of 11.0% and 1.1%, respectively.

Compared with earlier years, there was an increase in the reported number of ART cycles in Europe. Although fewer embryos were transferred per treatment, there was a marginal increase in pregnancy rates and a reduction in multiple deliveries.