{"id":1558,"date":"2020-02-15T17:03:19","date_gmt":"2020-02-15T17:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.theduff.co.uk\/?p=1558"},"modified":"2020-10-16T11:03:07","modified_gmt":"2020-10-16T11:03:07","slug":"ivf-success-rates-uk-private-clinics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/ivf-success-rates-uk-private-clinics\/","title":{"rendered":"<strong>IVF success rates:<\/strong> don&#8217;t be misled!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>I'M ABOUT TO BREAK A &#8220;WEBSITE RULE&#8221; IN A BIG WAY:<\/strong> I\u2019m going to give you the nutshellised version of this entire article right at the start. So if you don\u2019t have time or you\u2019re panicking like mad or you can\u2019t be bothered to wade through a 3,500-word diatribe against certain private clinics, you don\u2019t have to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the nutshellised version: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>If you want to look at the success rates of an individual clinic, please please please <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hfea.gov.uk\/choose-a-clinic\/clinic-search\/\">use the HFEA website<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;which has an info page on every clinic in the country \u2013 to do so. Some clinics are <em>incredibly&nbsp;<\/em>cheeky with how they select and present their data, but the HFEA standardises everything and allows you to accurately compare them all. <br> <br>(The HFEA certainly&nbsp;isn\u2019t controversy-free \u2013 and I have my issues with how it operates \u2013 but it\u2019s useful for comparing like-for-like data across fertility clinics.)<\/li><li>Most importantly, try not to obsess over success rates when choosing a clinic. There are far more important factors to consider.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Want more detail? Here you go: <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-189190b1{padding:0% 36% 8% 22%;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-6b407887 > .elementor-element-populated{margin:0% 3.2% 0% 14%;--e-column-margin-right:3.2%;--e-column-margin-left:14%;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-65191d58{--box-background-color:#FCFAEE;--box-border-color:#007595;--box-border-width:0px;--box-border-radius:0px;--box-padding:24px;--box-min-height:48vh;--header-color:#F16653;--toggle-button-color:#333333;--item-text-color:#007595;--item-text-decoration:underline;--item-text-hover-decoration:underline;--marker-color:#007595;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-65191d58 .elementor-toc__header, .elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-65191d58 .elementor-toc__header-title{font-size:20px;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-65191d58 .elementor-toc__list-item{font-size:20px;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-65191d58 > .elementor-widget-container{margin:0px 0px 0px 4px;}@media(max-width:1024px){.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-189190b1{padding:0% 4% 10% 14%;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-6b407887 > .elementor-element-populated{margin:0% 10% 0% 0%;--e-column-margin-right:10%;--e-column-margin-left:0%;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;}}@media(max-width:767px){.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-189190b1{margin-top:16%;margin-bottom:18%;padding:0% 0% 0% 0%;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-6b407887 > .elementor-element-populated{margin:0% 0% 0% 0%;--e-column-margin-right:0%;--e-column-margin-left:0%;padding:0% 0% 0% 0%;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-65191d58 > .elementor-widget-container{margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;}}\/* Start custom CSS for table-of-contents, class: .elementor-element-65191d58 *\/.elementor-toc__header-title {\n    color: #333333;\n}\n\n.elementor-toc__list-wrapper {\n    margin: 0em 2em 2em 0em;\n}\n\n.elementor-toc__list-items--collapsible li:not(:last-of-type) {\n    margin: 1.5em 0em;\n    padding-bottom: 1.5em;\n    border-bottom: 0.5px solid #007595;\n}\n\n\/* --- For Mobile --- *\/\n@media only screen and (max-width: 400px) {\n    .elementor-toc__list-wrapper {\n    margin: -1em 0em 0em 0em;\n}\n\n.elementor-toc__list-items--collapsible li:not(:last-of-type) {\n    margin: 1.2em 0em;\n    padding-bottom: 1.2em;\n    border-bottom: 0.5px solid #007595;\n}\n}\/* End custom CSS *\/<\/style>\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"572\" class=\"elementor elementor-572\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-189190b1 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"189190b1\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6b407887\" data-id=\"6b407887\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65191d58 elementor-toc--minimized-on-none elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"65191d58\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;collapse_subitems&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;vh&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:48,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;],&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;none&quot;,&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;bullets&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;fas fa-circle&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;fa-solid&quot;},&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tContents\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__65191d58\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-down\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__65191d58\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-up\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__65191d58\" class=\"elementor-toc__body elementor-toc__list-items--collapsible\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<i class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What does &#8220;success rate&#8221; actually mean? (Don't skip this bit!)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In this article, \u201csuccess rate\u201d means \u201clive births per embryo transferred\u201d. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s the preferred method of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) for assessing IVF success, and I agree that it\u2019s the most useful measure in most instances. I\u2019ll get into this in more detail soon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the national average success rates for IVF?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The following percentages are from the HFEA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hfea.gov.uk\/treatments\/explore-all-treatments\/in-vitro-fertilisation-ivf\/\">2017 data<\/a>). <strong>They show the average chance of a live birth after IVF treatment per embryo transferred, using a woman\u2019s own eggs and partner\u2019s own sperm: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Aged under 35: 29%<\/li><li>35-37: 23%<\/li><li>38-39: 15%<\/li><li>40-42: 9%<\/li><li>43-44: 3%<\/li><li>Aged over 44: 2%<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Frozen and fresh transfers have been combined in these percentages. If you'd like to see the numbers divided out between frozen and fresh, you can check the HFEA's <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hfea.gov.uk\/media\/2563\/hfea-fertility-trends-and-figures-2017-v2.pdf\">Fertility Trends<\/a> report \u2013 where you can also see data for donor eggs, donor sperm, and other forms of IVF. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I'll be using the above percentages as my benchmark throughout this article, purely for consistency and so I can show what private IVF clinics do to make their own success rates look better than they really are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How do I find the success rates of a specific private fertility clinic? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Visit the website of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hfea.gov.uk\/choose-a-clinic\/clinic-search\/\">Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)<\/a><\/strong>. I have my criticisms of the HFEA (another time!), but I do appreciate that it has very strict rules about how clinics must report success rates to it \u2013 which means the HFEA can then publish data that can be compared like-for-like with other clinics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clinics are free to publish whatever data they want \u2013 in whatever format they want \u2013 on their own websites. As you'll soon see, they can be very cheeky with how they select and present this data \u2013 and that's why I plead with you <em>not <\/em>to visit individual clinic websites for information about success rates.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Is there much variation in success rates among private IVF clinics? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellent question! If you ask any clinic, the answer will be &#8220;yes&#8221; \u2013 and they'll say their success rates are the best. The truth is slightly different&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>As mentioned above, the HFEA's preferred metric is &#8220;live births per embryo transferred&#8221;. <\/li><li>The HFEA differentiates between clinics whose success rates are &#8220;above the national average&#8221;, &#8220;consistent with the national average&#8221; and &#8220;below the national average&#8221;.<br><br>\u201cAbove\u201d, \u201cbelow\u201d and \u201cconsistent with\u201d are calculated by averaging out the success rates for each age group within a clinic.<\/li><li>The vast majority of clinics are classed as having success rates &#8220;consistent with the national average&#8221;. <span style=\"font-size: inherit; background-color: initial;\">One criticism of the HFEA is that this category encompasses a wide range of success rates. For example: <\/span><br><br>CARE Nottingham has success rates of 37% (aged under 38), 14% (38 and over) and 29% (all ages combined). <br><br>Harley Street Fertility Clinic has rates of 15% (aged under 38), 6% (38 and over) and 11% (all ages combined). `<br><br>Both clinics are considered to be &#8220;consistent with the national average&#8221; across all age ranges.<br><br>(It would be helpful if the age ranges were consistent with the national averages mentioned above, but there you go. Even so, you can still see that CARE Nottingham is much higher than the national average and Harley Street Fertility Clinic is much lower.)<br><br>Granted, these are extreme examples, and most clinics are much closer to the national averages. Nevertheless, it makes sense to delve into the clinic's data rather than rely purely on the descriptive statement about success rates at the top of the page.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Should I steer clear of any clinics that have success rates &#8220;below the national average&#8221; or at the lower end of &#8220;consistent with the national average&#8221;? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Firstly, only a handful of clinics are &#8220;below the national average&#8221;. And secondly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hfea.gov.uk\/choose-a-clinic\/\">as the HFEA says<\/a>, &#8220;&#8230; most clinics are broadly all as good as each other \u2013 small differences in rates are usually down to the different&nbsp;types of&nbsp;patients treated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This is&nbsp;an important point.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, variations in success rates are down to differences in the types of patients being treated rather than the expertise of the doctors there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>One clinic might refuse to treat anyone with a BMI over 30; a high BMI affects IVF success, no matter how good the clinic is, so that particular&nbsp;clinic may have better success rates than one that will treat anyone regardless of their BMI.<\/li><li>Statistics are further skewed (albeit slightly) when clinics treat both private and NHS patients. The NHS has <a href=\"\/nhs-ivf-uk\/\">much stricter selection criteria<\/a>, favouring women who have a higher chance of success. The clinics that accept NHS patients are therefore likely to have slightly higher success rates compared to private-only clinics. &nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Using the example of Harley Street and CARE from above, it's perfectly possible that Harley Street treats a wider range of patients than CARE. I don't know if this is true, but it's a question you could ask if\/when you have an appointment there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You might be wondering about age&#8230; <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another drawback and potential criticism of the HFEA\u2019s definition is that it\u2019s less helpful for older women and the clinics that treat them with a double embryo transfer. As we know, <a href=\"\/egg-quality-quantity-ovarian-reserve\/\">age is the most important factor<\/a> in determining IVF success, and women over the age of 37 are less likely to get pregnant through IVF (or naturally). It\u2019s also less likely that both embryos will develop into foetuses \u2013 so the benefits of transferring two embryos are believed to outweigh the risks. A decent percentage of older women may well have a baby after receiving a double embryo transfer from a particular clinic, but that clinic\u2019s success rates \u201cper embryo transferred\u201d will look relatively unimpressive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re older than 37, I\u2019d recommend that you look at the HFEA\u2019s data for a particular clinic AND any data you can find on \u201clive births per embryo transfer\/transfer event\u201d. Also note that the HFEA\u2019s stats separate out clinic data into age ranges, so you can see success ranges per age group (per embryo transferred). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How do IVF clinics mislead us when publishing success rates on their websites?  <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So as we've learnt, clinics generally aren't <em>drastically<\/em> dissimilar from each other when it comes to success rates. Annoyingly (but understandably) that doesn\u2019t stop them from trying to pretend they\u2019re better. Take Herts & Essex Fertility Centre. If we compare the HFEA data with the data on the clinic\u2019s website, things look\u2026 weird. Here\u2019s one example: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HFEA data: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Live births per embryo transferred (age &lt;38): 27%, which is consistent with the national average<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Herts & Essex Fertility Centre data (on its website): <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Live births per embryo transfer (age 20\u201334): 44.7%<\/li><li>Live births per embryo transfer (age 35\u201337): 42.9%<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>(Combined, these represent the age groups covered by the HFEA data.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>44.7% and 42.9% are <em>nowhere near <\/em>the 27% stated by the HFEA. So what\u2019s going on? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three letters is what\u2019s going on. The clinic uses the word \u201ctransfer\u201d, whereas the HFEA uses \u201ctransfer<strong>red<\/strong>\u201d. Those three letters make a huge difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how Herts & Essex explained it in an email they sent me: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;The reason for the difference in success rates is because the HFEA data is showing live birth per embryo transferred, whereas the data on our website is showing rates per embryo transfer event, so in actuality are not showing the same thing. <\/em>[Note that their website doesn\u2019t say &#8220;embryo transfer event\u201d;&nbsp;it just says \u201cembryo transfer\u201d.]\n\n\n\n<p><em>Essentially, the differences come from what a measurement of &#8216;success' is. For example, if a patient were to have a single live birth following the transfer of two embryos, this would be a 50% success rate per embryo transferred because only one of the two embryos implanted. However, according to success rate per embryo transfer event, this would be 100% successful. Similarly, if a patient were to have a singleton live birth following the transfer of three embryos, according to success rate per embryo transferred, this would be a 33% success rate but a 100% success rate according to success per embryo transfer event.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While this explanation makes sense, there\u2019s a good chance many potential patients will be misled by the Herts & Essex Fertility data. As I said in my reply: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;Don't you think it's misleading to publish &#8216;per embryo transfer' rather than &#8216;per embryo transferred'? Surely lots of people are going to compare your stats to other clinics that cite &#8216;per embryo transferred' and think your clinic has much higher success rates \u2013 when actually they're comparing two very different measures? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If nothing else, shouldn't there be an explanation of this difference on your &#8216;success rates' page? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>From what I understand, the HFEA encourages clinics to publish &#8216;per embryo transferred' data because it wants to deter you from transferring multiple embryos.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/em>[More on this final point shortly.]\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve picked on Herts & Essex Fertility because it was one of the first I came across, but believe me: many other clinics are just as sneaky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Group-1285@2x.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-492\" 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.elementor-element-144e6175 *\/#fdg {\n    color: #FFFFFF;\n}\n#fdg:hover {\n    color: #FFFFFF;\n}\/* End custom CSS *\/<\/style>\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"291\" class=\"elementor elementor-291\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4c84a175 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4c84a175\" data-element_type=\"section\" id=\"Mailing-list-sign-up-box\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-554afbfb\" data-id=\"554afbfb\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap 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class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-sm\" role=\"button\" id=\"fdg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">FREE DOWNLOAD<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ed2b9df elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1ed2b9df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Questions to ask your doctor at every stage of IVF treatment: free downloadable guide<\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39ffc0a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39ffc0a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>IVF isn\u2019t just overwhelming<\/strong>; it can also be a mind-boggling and sometimes terrifying experience because there\u2019s so much to learn and so many rules to follow.<\/p><p>Problem is, doctors are busy \u2013 and they often don\u2019t have the time to anticipate your concerns and provide all the information you might need.<\/p><p>This downloadable guide contains questions that will help you understand the process better, get the answers you deserve, and feel more in control of the situation (and your rights as a patient).<\/p><p><strong>Enter your email address to receive it right away.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68569f9a elementor-mobile-button-align-center elementor-tablet-button-align-stretch elementor-button-align-stretch elementor-widget elementor-widget-form\" data-id=\"68569f9a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" 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PDF<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e68b04a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e68b04a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>I won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why is &#8220;births per embryo transferred&#8221; the best metric? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The HFEA has a good reason for preferring the \u201clive births per embryo transferred\u201d statistic: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBirth rates per embryo transferred (PET)&#8230; helps patients and clinics to recognise that whilst transferring more than one embryo at a time is thought to raise success rates, it also raises the chance of twins, which can carry health risks for the babies and mother.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I won\u2019t go off on a tangent about the health risks associated with multiple pregnancies in this particular&nbsp;article, but you can read more <a href=\"\/how-many-embryos-transfer-ivf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2016, the HFEA reported that its efforts to encourage clinics to reduce multiple birth rates has been successful: \u201cIn 2008, one in four pregnancies from IVF resulted in a multiple birth, leading us to set a target that no more than 10% of IVF births should be multiples. Working together with patient groups, clinics and professional bodies, the national multiple birth rate has decreased from 24% in 2008 to 11% today, <strong>without reducing birth rates <\/strong>[my emphasis].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, it seems single embryo transfers aren\u2019t necessarily less successful. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/341\/bmj.c6945\">2010 meta-analysis<\/a>, the BMJ discovered that \u201cAn additional frozen single embryo transfer [after a failed fresh transfer] resulted in a cumulative live birth rate not significantly lower than the rate after one fresh double embryo transfer\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>That is: \u201c1 embryo fresh transfer\u201d + \u201c1 embryo frozen transfer\u201d = very similar live birth rates to \u201c2 embryos fresh transfer\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, it takes longer to do things this way \u2013 but it\u2019s safer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why do many clinics publish different metrics on their own &#8220;success rates&#8221; pages?  <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many clinics continue to refer to success rates that are based on \u201cper embryo transfer <em>event<\/em>\u201d (sometimes referred to simply as &#8220;per embryo transfer&#8221;) rather than \u201cper embryo <em>transferred<\/em>\u201d. Why? Because the numbers are higher and therefore look more impressive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let's use CRGH (a London clinic) as an example: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The &#8220;live birth rate per embryo transfer&#8221; for under-35s (published on the CRGH website) is 50.3%. For those aged 35\u201337, it's 43.1%. <\/li><li>The &#8220;live birth rate per embryo transferred&#8221; for those aged 37 and under (published on the HFEA website) is 29%. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>50.3% simply looks way better than 29%. You're more likely to pick up the phone to CRGH if you see a success rate of 50.3% rather than 29%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What's so bad about reporting different metrics from those preferred by the HFEA? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Clinics will pick and choose the metrics that make them look good, which it makes it very hard to compare success rates accurately. (Which is why I recommend using the HFEA instead.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But there's another potential harm we haven't yet discussed&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As explained earlier, publishing &#8220;per embryo transfer <em>event<\/em>&#8221; stats incentivises them to transfer multiple embryos rather than just one \u2013 which is generally&nbsp;NOT in the interests of patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s possible this is just a theory: clinics that report \u201cper embryo transfer <em>event<\/em>\u201d might not, in fact, perform more multiple embryo transfers than the national average. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But\u2026 well\u2026 they do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve checked the data of many private clinics in the UK, and the ones that report \u201cper embryo transfer event\u201d (which is the same as \u201cper embryo transfer\u201d) on their website tend to&nbsp;have higher multiple birth rates. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it <a href=\"\/how-many-embryos-transfer-ivf\/\">sometimes makes sense for older women<\/a> (and a small minority of younger women) to have a multiple embryo transfer, the clinics I looked at have a high multiple birth rate across all age groups \u2013 not just older women. Not only that, but many of them (including Fertility Plus, CRGW, City Fertility and many more) also have slightly <em>lower <\/em>birth rates per embryo transferred than the national average. (Not significantly lower, I must add: they\u2019re still considered \u201cconsistent\u201d with the national average.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I came across one clinic that has INSANE results on the HFEA website (turns out there\u2019s been quite a lot of press coverage about it). The Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre in London has fairly standard results for \u201clive births per embryo transferred\u201d, yet its multiple birth rate is higher than anything I\u2019ve ever seen for patients under the age of 38:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"655\" height=\"371\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/argc1.png\" alt=\"ARGH success rates\" class=\"wp-image-1578\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/argc1.png 655w, https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/argc1-300x170.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 655px) 100vw, 655px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"657\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/argc2.png\" alt=\"ARGH multiple birth rates\" class=\"wp-image-1577\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/argc2.png 657w, https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/argc2-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 657px) 100vw, 657px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>(The national average is now 11% rather than 14%. I\u2019m assuming the HFEA hasn\u2019t updated its charts yet.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This implies the doctors at the clinic are shoving a buttload of embryos up almost all patients \u2013 both young and older. Interestingly, this clinic\u2019s website provides success rates on \u201cclinical pregnancy per cycle started\u201d, which is a confusing measure that most clinics don\u2019t bother publishing (or at least will publish alongside other types of data \u2013 like \u201cper embyo transferred\u201d). There\u2019s more about measuring \u201cper cycle started\u201d below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How else do clinics get cheeky with success rates?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Clinics know you\u2019ll look at their \u201csuccess rates\u201d page \u2013 and they want you to think they\u2019re superior to their local competitors. So they\u2019ll often do whatever it takes to present their data in the best possible&nbsp;light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some other tactics to watch out for: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1: They\u2019ll combine patient age groups in any way that will help bump up the numbers. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2: Instead of publishing birth rates, they\u2019ll publish pregnancy rates if it makes them look better.<\/strong> While this is a totally&nbsp;legitimate way to measure things, you just need to make sure you don\u2019t compare it to birth rates on another clinic\u2019s site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>CARE London, for example, makes a huge deal of its \u201cHigh IVF Results in London!\u201d and shows off an impressive-looking chart displaying \u201cclinical pregnancies per embryo transferred\u201d. But click on \u201cMore results\u201d (and kudos to them for including extra stats <em>at all<\/em> on their website) and you\u2019re faced with the reality that \u201cLive birth rates per embryo transferred\u201d are less impressive. In fact, they\u2019re slightly lower than the national average, for every age group.<\/li><li>Fertility Plus in London does the same thing. It mentions a 42% clinical pregnancy rate on its website, but its \u201clive birth rate per embryo transferred\u201d (published on the HFEA website) is slightly lower than the national average. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3: They\u2019ll publish stats for \u201cembryo transfer\u201d (or \u201cembryo transfer event\u201d), not \u201cembryo transferred\u201d.<\/strong> See above for more on this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4: They\u2019ll compare their own success rates to the national average \u2013 but only when theirs looks better.<\/strong> Otherwise, they won\u2019t mention the national average. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>City Fertility (also in London) cleverly compares itself to other clinics for donated egg cycles only \u2013 where the clinic seems to excel. For IVF cycles using women\u2019s own eggs, the clinic a) only provides clinical pregnancy rates, not birth rates, and b) decided <em>not <\/em>to compare itself with other clinics. <br><br>The clinic\u2019s live birth rates are slightly lower than the national average, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hfea.gov.uk\/choose-a-clinic\/clinic-search\/results\/9094\/\">according to the HFEA<\/a>, so that might be why. <\/li><li>Salisbury Fertility Centre (one of the only two clinics that has success rates officially deemed \u201cbelow the national average\u201d) does something similar. <br><br>Once your eyes adjust to the chaos of its \u201csuccess&#8221; page, you\u2019ll see that it compares just one of its data points to the national average (where it can make itself look superior). <br><br>None of the other numbers on the page are compared to the national average \u2013 and they all use completely&nbsp;different measurement techniques (some are \u201cper embryo transferred\u201d, some are \u201cper transfer procedure\u201d, some are \u201cclinical pregnancy\u201d rates, some are \u201clive birth\u201d rates, etc.). &nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5: Their stats will be \u201cper treatment cycle\u201d, which is bloomin\u2019 confusing because it means different things to different people.<\/strong> For most private clinics, it\u2019s the same as an \u201cembryo transfer event\u201d, but for the HFEA, it refers to any IVF treatment that has begun \u2013 even if an embryo transfer doesn\u2019t end up happening (e.g. because the patient didn\u2019t react to the stimulation drugs). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6: They\u2019ll be extraordinarily vague \u2013 to an infuriating degree<\/strong>. I feel the need to include a few screenshots so you can be just as furious as I am: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gennet (which has a clinic in London):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"131\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/gennet-1024x131.png\" alt=\"Gennet vague success rates\" class=\"wp-image-1576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/gennet-1024x131.png 1024w, https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/gennet-300x38.png 300w, https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/gennet-768x98.png 768w, https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/gennet.png 1096w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>WHAT DOES THIS MEAN????!!!! ARGGGHHH!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Harley Street Fertility Clinic: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"484\" height=\"415\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HSFC.png\" alt=\"HSFC vague success rates\" class=\"wp-image-1575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HSFC.png 484w, https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HSFC-300x257.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 484px) 100vw, 484px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>52% per embryo transferred? Per embryo transfer cycle? Per treatment cycle? Per eggs collected? Fresh? Frozen? Donor eggs? Donor sperm? Live births? Clinical pregnancies? Who flipping knows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"578\" height=\"294\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fertility-academy.png\" alt=\"Fertility & Gynaecology Academy vague stats\" class=\"wp-image-1574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fertility-academy.png 578w, https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fertility-academy-300x153.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 578px) 100vw, 578px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Are we talking clinical pregnancy rates per embryo transferred or per embryo transfer treatment? &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Group-1285@2x.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-492\" width=\"229\" height=\"105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Group-1285@2x.png 443w, https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Group-1285@2x-300x137.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.elementor-291 .elementor-element.elementor-element-4c84a175{margin-top:2%;margin-bottom:12%;padding:1% 4% 1% 4%;z-index:2;}.elementor-291 .elementor-element.elementor-element-554afbfb > .elementor-element-populated{margin:0% 5% 0% 5%;--e-column-margin-right:5%;--e-column-margin-left:5%;}.elementor-291 .elementor-element.elementor-element-21014cc2:not(.elementor-motion-effects-element-type-background), .elementor-291 .elementor-element.elementor-element-21014cc2 > .elementor-motion-effects-container > .elementor-motion-effects-layer{background-color:#FCFAEE;}.elementor-291 .elementor-element.elementor-element-21014cc2{transition:background 0.3s, border 0.3s, border-radius 0.3s, box-shadow 0.3s;}.elementor-291 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.elementor-element-144e6175 *\/#fdg {\n    color: #FFFFFF;\n}\n#fdg:hover {\n    color: #FFFFFF;\n}\/* End custom CSS *\/<\/style>\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"291\" class=\"elementor elementor-291\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4c84a175 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4c84a175\" data-element_type=\"section\" id=\"Mailing-list-sign-up-box\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-554afbfb\" data-id=\"554afbfb\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-21014cc2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"21014cc2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-7c412ba7\" data-id=\"7c412ba7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-144e6175 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"144e6175\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-sm\" role=\"button\" id=\"fdg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">FREE DOWNLOAD<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ed2b9df elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1ed2b9df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Questions to ask your doctor at every stage of IVF treatment: free downloadable guide<\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39ffc0a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39ffc0a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>IVF isn\u2019t just overwhelming<\/strong>; it can also be a mind-boggling and sometimes terrifying experience because there\u2019s so much to learn and so many rules to follow.<\/p><p>Problem is, doctors are busy \u2013 and they often don\u2019t have the time to anticipate your concerns and provide all the information you might need.<\/p><p>This downloadable guide contains questions that will help you understand the process better, get the answers you deserve, and feel more in control of the situation (and your rights as a patient).<\/p><p><strong>Enter your email address to receive it right away.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68569f9a elementor-mobile-button-align-center elementor-tablet-button-align-stretch elementor-button-align-stretch elementor-widget elementor-widget-form\" data-id=\"68569f9a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;button_width&quot;:&quot;20&quot;,&quot;button_width_mobile&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;button_width_tablet&quot;:&quot;25&quot;,&quot;step_next_label&quot;:&quot;Next&quot;,&quot;step_previous_label&quot;:&quot;Previous&quot;,&quot;step_type&quot;:&quot;number_text&quot;,&quot;step_icon_shape&quot;:&quot;circle&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"form.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<form class=\"elementor-form\" method=\"post\" name=\"New Form\">\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"post_id\" value=\"291\"\/>\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_id\" value=\"68569f9a\"\/>\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"referer_title\" value=\"The Duff\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-form-fields-wrapper elementor-labels-\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-email elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-email elementor-col-80 elementor-md-75 elementor-sm-100 elementor-field-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-email\" class=\"elementor-field-label elementor-screen-only\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"email\" name=\"form_fields[email]\" id=\"form-field-email\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-lg  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"Your email address\" required=\"required\" aria-required=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-type-submit elementor-col-20 e-form__buttons elementor-md-25 elementor-sm-100\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-lg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\" elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Get the PDF<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e68b04a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e68b04a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>I won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>If clinics have similarish success rates, how do I decide where to go?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the beginning of this article, I said that almost all clinics have fairly similar success rates: trying to pick a private IVF clinic by success rate alone is like trying to bet on a horse based on the number of legs it has. The intervening 1,500 words were to show how clinics attempt to give the impression that&nbsp;they have far superior rates compared to the national average. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So now you know all that, how do you choose a private IVF fertility clinic if you can\u2019t base your decision on success rates? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To answer your question, read my article on <a href=\"\/criteria-private-fertility-clinic-uk\/\">how to choose a private fertility clinic<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Questions?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lots of readers asked me about success rates, and I figured it would be pretty&nbsp;easy to do the research and write up my findings. I was wrong: this subject is a minefield. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t understand anything I\u2019ve written or need more information on something, there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019re not alone \u2013 so please tell me and I\u2019ll do my best to re-explain or do some&nbsp;more research: mish@theduff.co.uk. I want to make sure this article answers all your questions and gives you the confidence you need to pick a private IVF clinic that suits your needs. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-3a6436ac{padding:4% 22% 8% 22%;z-index:2;}.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-17d4eb46:not(.elementor-motion-effects-element-type-background) > .elementor-widget-wrap, .elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-17d4eb46 > .elementor-widget-wrap > .elementor-motion-effects-container > .elementor-motion-effects-layer{background-color:#C0E4E5;}.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-17d4eb46 > .elementor-element-populated{transition:background 0.3s, border 0.3s, border-radius 0.3s, box-shadow 0.3s;margin:0% 14% 0% 14%;--e-column-margin-right:14%;--e-column-margin-left:14%;padding:2% 1% 4% 1%;}.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-17d4eb46 > .elementor-element-populated > .elementor-background-overlay{transition:background 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.elementor-element.elementor-element-ef00547{width:100%;}.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-19a555d6{width:100%;}}<\/style>\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"536\" class=\"elementor elementor-536\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3a6436ac elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3a6436ac\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-17d4eb46\" data-id=\"17d4eb46\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div 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