The role of Assisted Reproduction in modern family diversity

Just by looking around, it’s easy to see the wide variety of family models that exist today. From single-parent families to heterosexual and same-sex couples who choose to embark on the path to parenthood. Fortunately, options have expanded, and no one is excluded from the dream of building a family. In this context, assisted reproduction has become a key tool in making this dream a reality.

Medical Advances Opening New Possibilities

Reproductive medicine has come a long way. In its early days, treatments were very limited and could only address simple cases through timed intercourse during ovulation. Later, artificial insemination emerged, where sperm was processed and introduced into the uterus at the optimal time, shortening the distance it had to travel to reach the egg.

Eventually, the development of in vitro fertilization (IVF) revolutionized the field. Eggs were retrieved and exposed to high concentrations of sperm, and the process was later refined with the ICSI technique, which allows for the direct injection of a single sperm into an egg. Thanks to improvements in embryo culture systems, embryos can now be kept in incubators for up to seven days before transfer.

Embryo Transfer and Cryopreservation: Less Is More

In the past, multiple embryos were transferred to increase the chances of success. However, thanks to advancements in laboratory techniques, today only one embryo is typically transferred, reducing risks while maintaining high success rates. Additionally, unused embryos are no longer discarded—they can be frozen with the confidence that their survival rate after thawing is very high.

Embryo Biopsy: Toward Personalized Medicine

It’s now possible to analyze the genetic makeup of embryos. This is done through embryo biopsy, which was initially performed on day 3 of development but is now commonly done at the blastocyst stage. This allows for the detection of chromosomal abnormalities or genetic diseases before the transfer, and it is always paired with safe embryo vitrification.

Misinformation: A Persistent Barrier

One of the biggest challenges in assisted reproduction is misinformation. Many people are unaware that women are born with a finite number of eggs, and that this reserve declines with age. If this fact were more widely known, more women might monitor their fertility over time, avoiding late consultations for infertility.

Preserving fertility doesn’t mean becoming a mother immediately—it means keeping options open. Freezing eggs before the age of 35 allows them to be used later with the quality they had at that age. In cases of early ovarian failure, if eggs were not vitrified, the current option is egg donation—though it is an area where research is progressing rapidly.

What If the Frozen Eggs Aren’t Used?

If a spontaneous pregnancy occurs, the preserved eggs can be donated to other people (if certain conditions are met), used for research, or simply discarded when the time comes. However, until then, an annual maintenance fee must be paid to store the gametes properly.

A Long-Term Reproductive Insurance

Egg freezing isn’t an obligation, but rather a preventive tool for women who want to secure their reproductive potential in the face of an uncertain future. Ultimately, it’s a guarantee of freedom—the freedom to choose when and how to start a family.