With fewer than 700,000 births each year in France, both birth rates and fertility have declined – a trend now seen worldwide. Among the many causes is the rise in both male and female infertility. In France, 3.7% of births involve assisted reproductive technology, or about one in 30 children. Stéphane Viville, head of the infertility genetics unit at Strasbourg University Hospitals and a member of the executive committee of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), explains the current issues surrounding assisted reproductive technology.

How can the low success rate of assisted reproductive technology be explained?

In France, the live birth rate per embryo transfer ranged from 11% to 28% in 2023, depending on the technique, patient characteristics and other factors, according to the French Biomedicine Agency. These figures are slightly below the European average – around 19% – and lower than the most successful countries, such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark, which report rates between 21% and 26%, according to ESHRE. Admittedly, this rate has barely changed, but the progress since the first test-tube baby in 1982 has been considerable.

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