Key Takeaways
Older women often need donor eggs to become mothers through IVF, a new study says
Success rates for IVF using their own eggs are below 5% for women 43 and older
This occurred even though overall success rates for assisted reproductive technology have doubled
MONDAY, Oct. 27, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Want to have successful IVF? If you’re an older woman, find some donor eggs.
Most successful fertility treatments for women 43 and older rely on donor eggs, researchers report in the journal Population Studies.
Success rates in that age group remain below 5% when using a woman’s own eggs (not previously frozen), researchers found.
On the other hand, more than one-third of treatments using donor eggs are successful across all age groups, results showed.
“I personally didn’t know how low assisted reproductive technologies success rates are for older women using their own eggs and was really surprised to see that success rates remain completely stable with donor eggs,” said lead researcher Luzia Bruckamp, a doctoral student at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the U.K.
“When you see the numbers for the first time, it’s striking how little the age of the woman matters and how it’s really all about the age of the eggs,” Bruckamp said in a news release. “Our study shows that while assisted reproductive technology [ART] has become much more effective in general, it currently cannot overcome certain biological limits.”
For the study, researchers analyzed data from the U.K.’s Human Fertilization and Embryo Authority on all ART procedures carried out in licensed clinics between 1991 and 2018, covering more than 1.2 million treatment cycles and more than a half-million patients undergoing their first treatment.
Results showed the number of people turning to fertility treatments more than quadrupled, from around 6,000 in 1991 to nearly 25,000 by 2018.
During the same period, success rates nearly doubled, rising from about 15% to more than 28%.
However, success rates using a woman’s own eggs showed a clear age-related decline, plummeting after age 40.
By 2018, donor eggs accounted for more than half of ART births at age 43 to 44, and more than 90% among women 45 to 50, the study found.
“For women over 43, treatments using their own eggs are rarely successful,” Bruckamp said. “Donor eggs often remain the only reliable option for achieving a successful pregnancy at older ages.”
These results could help explain why fertility is falling around the world, researchers said.
“Many people may not be fully aware of the implications of postponing parenthood,” senior researcher Ester Lazzari, a fertility researcher with the University of Vienna, said in a news release. “While assisted reproduction can help many to achieve their desired family size, it cannot completely counteract the effects of maternal age.”
While egg donation and egg freezing can improve the chances of conception, she noted that they also have limitations, making them "insufficient" to fully offset the fertility loss associated with delayed childbearing.
“These findings carry an important message not just for the UK, but for societies worldwide, where delayed childbearing is becoming more common,” Lazzari added.
The authors suggest older women may need to use donor eggs or consider freezing their own eggs earlier in life to support informed reproductive decision-making.
The findings also support the importance of family-friendly policies to encourage earlier parenthood, like family leave, flexible workplace hours and better financial support, researchers said.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on assisted reproductive technology.
SOURCE: Taylor & Francis, news release, Oct. 27, 2025
What This Means For You
Older women who want to become mothers should investigate donated eggs as a means of ensuring a live birth.
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