2001 National Summary Table | 2001 National Summary Accessible Table

Data provided by U.S. clinics that use assisted reproductive technology (ART) to treat infertility are a rich source of information about the factors that contribute to a successful ART treatment—the delivery of a live-born infant. Pooling the data from all reporting clinics provides an overall national picture that could not be obtained by examining data from an individual clinic.

A woman’s chances of having a pregnancy and a live birth by using ART are influenced by many factors, some of which (e.g., the woman’s age, the cause of infertility) are outside a clinic’s control. Because the national data set includes information on many of these factors, it can give potential ART users an idea of their average chances of success. Average chances, however, do not necessarily apply to a particular individual or couple. People considering ART should consult their physician to discuss all the factors that apply in their particular case.

The data for this national report come from the 384 fertility clinics in operation in 2001 that provided and verified data on the outcomes of all ART cycles started in their clinics. The 107,587 ART cycles performed at these reporting clinics in 2001 resulted in 29,344 live births (deliveries of one or more living infants) and 40,687 babies.

The national report consists of graphs and charts that use 2001 data to answer specific questions related to ART success rates. These figures are organized according to the type of ART procedure used. Some ART procedures use a woman’s own eggs, and others use donated eggs or embryos. (Although sperm used to create an embryo also may be either from a woman’s partner or from a sperm donor, information in this report is presented according to the source of the egg.) In some procedures, the embryos that develop are transferred back to the woman (fresh embryo transfer); in others, the embryos are frozen (cryopreserved) for transfer at a later date. This report includes data on frozen embryos that were thawed and transferred in 2001.

The national report has five sections:

• Section 1 (Figures 1 and 2) presents information from all ART procedures reported.
• Section 2 (Figures 3 through 32) presents information on the 80,864 ART cycles that used only fresh embryos from nondonor eggs or, in a few cases, a mixture of fresh and frozen embryos from nondonor eggs.
• Section 3 (Figures 33 and 34) presents information on the ART cycles that used only frozen embryos (14,705 cycles resulting in 13,126 transfers).
• Section 4 (Figures 35 through 39) presents information on the ART cycles that used only donated eggs or embryos (12,018 cycles resulting in 10,750 transfers).
• Section 5 (Figures 40 through 45) presents trends in the number of ART procedures and success rates from 1996 through 2001.

The 2001 national summary table, which is based on data from all clinics included in this report, immediately precedes the individual clinic tables. An explanation of how to read these tables is also provided.