Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)

By RRM Academy Reviewed by Dr. Naomi Whittaker, MD, Board-Certified OBGYN, MIGS, NFPMC, FCI Updated August 8, 2026

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is the umbrella term for medical procedures in which eggs or embryos are handled to achieve pregnancy. The handling of eggs or embryos defines the category, not the site of fertilization. Federal law defines ART as all treatments or procedures that include the handling of human oocytes or embryos.¹ That statutory list includes gamete intrafallopian transfer, where fertilization occurs inside the fallopian tube.¹ CDC surveillance applies the same criterion, covering all fertility treatments or procedures in which either eggs or embryos are handled to help achieve a pregnancy.² The category includes in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), donor egg and donor embryo cycles, embryo biopsy and preimplantation genetic testing, embryo banking, frozen embryo transfer, and gestational carrier cycles.³ Intrauterine insemination (IUI) sits outside the category because only sperm is handled. Ovarian stimulation without the intention of retrieving eggs sits outside it too.²

ART procedures are bypass technologies. They achieve pregnancy by working around the reproductive barrier without requiring that barrier to be identified or treated. A woman with undiagnosed endometriosis who undergoes IVF still has endometriosis. A couple with undiagnosed male factor who pursues ICSI still has an undiagnosed male factor. The conception method changes. The underlying condition does not.

RRM and ART reflect opposite premises. ART proceeds from the assumption that the body cannot succeed on its own and builds technology around that assumption. RRM asks why the body has not succeeded, then addresses the answer. These are different questions. They lead to different clinical pathways. Cross-referencing them as alternatives for the same clinical problem understates how differently they frame the problem itself. See corrective vs. bypass approach.

ART carries elevated perinatal risk relative to naturally conceived pregnancies, including higher rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and multiple gestation. A systematic review of controlled studies found this elevated risk concentrated in singleton pregnancies: singleton pregnancies conceived through assisted reproduction carry markedly higher rates of perinatal mortality, preterm birth, and low birth weight than naturally conceived singletons. Twin perinatal mortality showed the opposite pattern in the same review, running roughly 40% lower, not higher, than in naturally conceived twins, with no meaningful difference in very preterm birth or very low birth weight rates between the two groups.⁴ HFEA annual data document the population-level profile across hundreds of thousands of UK treatment cycles.⁵ Patients deserve accurate, age-stratified outcome data before consenting to any ART procedure.

This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult an RRM clinician or healthcare provider for guidance specific to your situation.