Health Topic

Assisted Reproductive Technology

Learn about treating infertility with assisted reproductive technology (ART). It includes procedures like in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: ART · IVF · In Vitro Fertilization

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Assisted Reproductive Technology

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is used to treat infertility. It includes fertility treatments that handle both eggs and sperm. It works by removing eggs from the ovaries. The eggs are then mixed with sperm to make embryos. The embryos are then put back in the parent's body. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common and effective type of ART.

ART procedures sometimes use donor eggs, donor sperm, or previously frozen embryos. It may also involve a surrogate or gestational carrier. A surrogate becomes pregnant with sperm from one partner of the couple. A gestational carrier becomes pregnant with an egg from one partner and sperm from the other partner.

The most common complication of ART is a multiple pregnancy. It can be prevented or minimized by limiting the number of embryos that are put into the parent's body.

It sits within Female Reproductive System and Male Reproductive System.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Assisted Reproductive Technology

277 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Reproductive Techniques, Assisted, In Vitro Techniques. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Assisted Reproductive Technology, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.