Let’s Talk Fertility: Recent Technological Advances in Clinical Practice

Abstract

Infertility affects approximately one in six couples worldwide and continues to be a growing clinical and social challenge. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART), namely in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), have facilitated tremendous advances in fertility care, but success rates remain low, and patients continue to face challenges including cost and access to services. Emerging technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), and telemedicine are transforming fertility care with the potential to overcome many of these barriers. AI integrates individualization with technology to personalize strategies for fertilization and clinical decision making to improve safety and success in each IVF cycle. Advances in PGT, including next generation sequencing (NGS) and non-invasive pregenetic testing (niPGT) show promise in screening and detection of genetic abnormalities which contribute to optimizing reproductive outcomes. Telemedicine allows for expansion of access to fertility care beyond traditional settings, helping to overcome barriers including geographical distance and increasing access to fertility health services. Collectively, these advances are shifting fertility care towards individualized, precise, and accessible care, with the potential for global impacts on reproductive outcomes.