In recent times Spain has achieved great results in the field of assisted human reproduction. Novel techniques are applied, more effective, fast and with a pregnancy rate of 39%, almost 10% above the European average that stands at 30%.
The Spanish Fertility Society (SEF) has just released the data for 2006 that put Spain at the head of Europe in assisted reproduction. It is the third European country, after Germany and France with more cycles of assisted reproduction and the first in cycles of egg donation and preimplantation diagnosis. Thus, for the first time it displaces the United Kingdom that held third place.
In 2006, more than 50,000 "in vitro" fertilizations and sperm microinjection and more than 30,000 cycles of artificial insemination were performed, with assisted reproduction techniques representing 2% of total births.
Due to the advanced ages at which men and women become fathers, it is increasingly common for couples to use assisted reproduction techniques to fulfill their dream. The figures indicate that 80% of women who undergo in vitro fertilization are between 30 and 40 years old, while 55.7% of women receiving oocytes exceed 40 years.
As for the sterility figures, the thing is distributed. The causes linked to men reached 32.7% and 26.4% in women, while in 23.3% of the cases the causes were mixed.
That Spain is placed in the first European positions in assisted reproduction is great news for Spanish couples who plan to resort to it. However, one of the not-so-successful things that should be improved is to decrease the rate of multiple pregnancies in these types of techniques. It currently stands at 24% when the European average is at 20%.
