[Are French results in assisted reproductive techniques so bad?].

OBJECTIVE

Comparative analysis of French results in Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) versus those from other European countries and the United States.

POPULATION AND

METHODS

The study was achieved by using the officially available data. The analysis was faced with a lot of difficulties in relation with the various methods of collecting data in the different countries.

RESULTS

Nevertheless, it appears clearly that French results are among the lowest in Europe with a 22% rate for pregnancy per ovum pick-up with IVF and 23.4% with ICSI, when most of the other countries report rates that are close to or over 30%. Neither the patients' pick-up recruitment nor specific practices of ART can explain this difference that certainly comes from a deficient quality of the French IVF centres.

DISCUSSION AND

CONCLUSION

We think that four main end-points can explain this situation: the lack of financial support, the lack of human force, the lack of transparency and finally the opposition between clinician and biologist that has blocked the set-up of integrated ART centres, and probably a poor quality culture.