IVF Criteria: Who Qualifies and What Really Matters

When people think about IVF, in vitro fertilization, a medical process where eggs are fertilized outside the body and implanted into the uterus. It’s not just for couples with infertility—it’s also used by single parents, same-sex couples, and those with genetic risks. But not everyone who wants IVF can get it, and not everyone who gets it succeeds. The fertility treatment has strict IVF criteria, the medical and legal standards clinics use to decide who can proceed with treatment, and understanding them can save you time, money, and heartache.

One of the biggest factors in IVF eligibility, the set of conditions clinics check before starting treatment is age. Women over 40 face much lower success rates, and many clinics set an upper limit around 45. Your ovarian reserve—how many eggs you have left—matters more than your calendar age. Tests like AMH and AFC help clinics measure this. Men aren’t off the hook either. Poor sperm quality, low count, or genetic issues can block IVF unless donor sperm is used. If you have uncontrolled diabetes, thyroid disease, or severe obesity, clinics may ask you to stabilize your health first. Even smoking or heavy alcohol use can disqualify you. These aren’t arbitrary rules—they’re based on data showing how these factors directly impact embryo development and pregnancy survival.

Then there’s the money and the paperwork. IVF cost, the total price of one full cycle including drugs, monitoring, and embryo transfer in India runs between ₹2.2 lakh and ₹3.5 lakh. Most insurance plans still don’t cover it, though some states are starting to require it. If you’re hoping for coverage, you’ll need to check your policy’s fine print—some only pay if you’ve tried other treatments first. And if you’re using donor eggs or sperm, legal paperwork kicks in. Who is the legal parent? What rights does the donor have? These aren’t just emotional questions—they’re part of the IVF criteria, the legal and ethical standards clinics must follow. You can’t skip this step, even if you’re in a hurry.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t a list of rules—it’s a real-world look at how IVF works for people like you. Some posts break down the exact IVF success rates, the percentage of cycles that lead to live births, which vary by age, clinic, and technique. Others explain why you can’t pick twins, how insurance works in 2025, and what happens when your own eggs aren’t an option. There’s no fluff. Just straight talk about who gets in, who doesn’t, and what you can do about it.