Assisted reproductive technology in Japan: A summary report for 2019 by the Ethics Committee of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology records online annual cycle-based information for assisted reproductive technology (ART). This report presents the characteristics and treatment outcomes of ART cycles registered during 2019.

The Japanese ART registry includes cycle-specific information from 619 participating facilities, including treatment and pregnancy outcomes. Descriptive analyses were conducted for cycles registered during 2019.

In 2019, 458 101 treatment cycles and 60 598 neonates were reported, both of which increased from 2018. The number of fresh cycles, including in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection, decreased, while frozen-thawed embryo transfer (ET) cycles increased. The mean maternal age was 37.9 years (standard deviation ± 4.7). Of 239 348 oocyte retrievals, 123 690 (51.7%) involved freeze-all-embryos cycles; fresh ET was performed in 41 831 cycles (a decreasing trend since 2015). In 2019, there were 211 597 frozen-thawed ET cycles, resulting in 74 882 pregnancies and 54 168 neonates born. Single ET was performed in 82.6% of fresh transfers and 85.1% of frozen-thawed cycles, with singleton live birth rates of 97.3% for both.

The number of fresh cycles decreased but frozen cycles increased in 2019. Single ET was performed in >80% of cases, and the proportion of babies born from frozen-thawed ET increased.