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IVF treatment for older women or IVF after age 40

Everyone knows that IVF success rates drop as a woman becomes older. This is why many IVF clinic refuse IVF treatment for older women. Treating older women reduces the overall success rates of the clinic; and because it’s become so important to rank high in the IVF success rate league tables (after all, IVF is a competitive business !) most IVF clinics do not want to jeopardize their statistics. They will either refuse to treat these women ; or recommended that they consider using donor eggs.

In our clinic ( Malpani infertility clinic) , we are actually very happy to treat older women, for two reasons:

  • For one thing, these women present a medical challenge ; and it can be quite professionally fulfilling when you can get a woman pregnant , when other IVF clinics have refused to treat her.
  • Secondly , because these women are older, they are often much more mature and well-informed and have realistic expectations of the treatment . They are willing to form a partnership with their doctor, so it is very personally satisfying when we can help them to achieve their goal. Very importantly, they have seen much more of life, and we enjoy learning from them and their life experiences.

Finally, when they do get pregnant, they are very grateful – and they make excellent parents as well!

So while young IVF patients are always welcome , because it so easy to get them pregnant , we look forward to working with the more challenging older ones, because they keep us on our toes, and we learn so much from them every day !

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Written by Dr Aniruddha Malpani, MD · Last updated May 2020

Dr Aniruddha Malpani is the medical director of Malpani Infertility Clinic in Mumbai and a specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. He has spent his career helping couples understand their own treatment, and has written several patient-education books on IVF and infertility. He answers patient questions personally.

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Dr Aniruddha Malpani, MD, is an IVF specialist and the founder of the Malpani Infertility Clinic in Mumbai. He believes that well-informed patients get better results, which is why he practises information therapy, giving couples honest, clear answers so they can make their own decisions with confidence. He has written and shared free books on infertility and IVF in six languages, so that reliable medical knowledge reaches every couple. He offers a free second opinion to anyone who feels stuck after a failed cycle.

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