1A The Future Of Fertility In 2026
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Feb 26, 2026 Elise Barnes, an embryologist who handles eggs and embryo testing in the lab, and Dr. Lucky Sikhan, a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and author, discuss access and costs of fertility care. They cover insulin resistance and PCOS, egg freezing and clinic choice, new lab tech and genetic testing, and how insurance, policy and mental health shape fertility journeys.
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Fertility Rates Are Falling But Drug Discounts Aren't Enough
- U.S. fertility rates fell to a new low in 2024 while more people delay or opt out of parenthood.
- Policy moves like TrumpRx offer drug discounts but only shave a fraction off total IVF costs, leaving affordability unresolved.
IVF Is A Controlled External Fertilization Process
- IVF lets clinicians control ovulation, retrieve multiple eggs, fertilize and culture embryos outside the body, then transfer or freeze them.
- Lucky Sikhan compares medicated IUI to speed dating and IVF to an arranged marriage to show difference in control and efficacy.
Frozen Eggs Remain Viable Long Term
- Duration in storage doesn't reduce egg viability; vitrification (flash freezing) improved survival and pregnancy rates.
- Lucky Sikhan notes pregnancies from eggs frozen over 20 years ago and that vitrification reduced ice-crystal damage.
