Sex may become ‘old news’ when it comes to having babies says Australian scientist

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDMay 18 2010

Scientists claim that in another 10 years regular sex will be replaced by in vitro fertilization (IVF) as the preferred way to make babies.

According to researchers most couples over 30 will rely more on artificial methods to conceive. This prediction comes from John Yovich, Medical Director of Pivet Medical Centre, and a scientist acknowledged for his pioneering work in IVF, who calls human natural reproduction “a fairly inefficient process.”

He says that artificial methods that allow couples to delay childbirth and to pursue their careers with time will be more effective. He said that couples with age over 35 have only a one in ten chance of conceiving through natural sex and this compares with the “near 100 percent” success rates of IVF predicted within the next 10 years.

At present IVF success rates among women aged 38 to 40 are15 to 20 percent only, says the the American Pregnancy Association. That figure drops to about 6% to 10% after age 40.

The report from Yovich and Professor Gábor Vajta was published in the medical journal Reproductive BioMedicine.

However infertility specialists are wary of commenting. Gedis Grudzinskas, a London-based infertility specialist said, “It wouldn't surprise me if IVF does become significantly more efficient than natural reproduction, but I doubt whether you could ever completely guarantee that it would work.”