Advances and Controversies in Assisted Reproductive Technology

As the incidence and awareness of infertility have increased in the last decades, reproductive endocrinologists and scientists have striven to improve the therapeutic options being offered to patients. One of the most advanced and efficient technologies Currently being offered is assisted reproductive technology. Among the various techniques that are comprised by assisted reproductive technology, in vitro fertilization is the most widely studied and used, being responsible for approximately 1% of all live births in the United States. As this technology has evolved, many controversies have arisen, and it is the purpose of this article to review what in the authors' opinion are the most current and controversial aspects of the whole process of in vitro fertilization and its related techniques. Mt Sinai J Med 76:506-520, 2009. (C) 2009 Mount Sinai School of Medicine