The 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) is currently taking place in London, bringing together researchers and clinicians presenting the latest science in fertility, IVF, and reproductive health. The studies presented at ESHRE each year shape how fertility care is understood and delivered, and often preview the research that goes on to influence clinical practice. Here are eight from this year’s meeting that stood out for their relevance to fertility care, access, and the science of reproduction.
Modern IVF hits higher success rates with single embryo transfer
One of the largest IVF studies of its kind analyzed outcomes from 18,396 women undergoing their first IVF cycle across seven Australian clinics between 2012 and 2021. The finding: modern IVF achieved a 68.2% cumulative live birth rate over three cycles while using single embryo transfer in 95.3% of transfers and keeping the multiple birth rate at just 2.9%. Earlier studies, before widespread adoption of modern lab techniques, reported three-cycle live birth rates of 53-59% alongside multiple pregnancy rates exceeding 20%.
Lead author Dr. Dean Morbeck of Genea Fertility attributed the gains to advances like blastocyst culture becoming the default, improved vitrification, and freeze-all strategies. The takeaway challenges a longstanding assumption: transferring a single embryo no longer means sacrificing success. The study also found strong outcomes without routine use of PGT-A, which was used in just 25% of women, suggesting genetic testing isn’t necessary for all patients. Read the ESHRE release.
Halving fertility treatment costs could more than double births
A landmark international study analyzing ART data from 22 countries (representing over 95% of global ART activity) found that halving patient out-of-pocket costs was associated with a 2.67-fold increase in births. Researchers developed a “cost-to-baby” metric estimating the cost required to achieve one live birth, expressed as a percentage of median household income.
The disparities were stark: gross cost-to-baby ranged from 66% of median household income in Israel to 833% in parts of Africa. Countries with the most affordable care – South Korea, Spain, Japan – consistently achieved the highest ART utilization, while in Brazil, India, and Southeast Asia, where costs run two to three times annual household income, ART births dropped to 0.2-0.4%. Lead author Dr. Stephanie Kuku of Conceivable Life Sciences noted the relationship followed a power-law pattern, meaning cost reductions could produce disproportionately large increases in access. Her key policy recommendation: insurance mandates and public funding need to cover multiple complete treatment cycles, not just one. Read the ESHRE release.
Uterine aging linked to poorer outcomes after 49, even with donor eggs
A study from the IVIRMA Global Research Alliance challenges the assumption that donor eggs can fully “reset” the reproductive clock. Analyzing 2,760 single blastocyst transfers in 1,774 women undergoing donor-oocyte treatment, researchers identified 49 as a meaningful threshold after which outcomes declined despite young donor eggs. Live birth rates fell from 46.2% in women aged 35-40 to 31.7% in those 49 and over, while miscarriage rates rose from 24.2% to 37.6%.
The study also found age-related changes in the endometrium: while lining thickness stayed similar across age groups, the proportion of women with a receptive trilaminar endometrial pattern declined from 94.7% to 81.0%. Lead author Dr. Beatrice Crestani emphasized the findings shouldn’t discourage older women from donor-egg treatment, where success rates remain meaningful, but patients should be counseled that donor eggs can’t completely eliminate the effects of reproductive aging. Read the ESHRE release.
More than 1.15 million ART cycles reported across Europe
Preliminary data from the European IVF Monitoring (EIM) Consortium showed more than 1.15 million ART treatment cycles reported across 36 European countries in 2023, resulting in 247,021 births. The clearest trend: frozen embryo transfer (FET) now accounts for nearly 43% of treatment cycles, with 401,483 FET cycles reported compared to 158,649 conventional IVF cycles. Delivery rates per embryo transfer were highest for FET at 27.6%. The data also reflected the lowest recorded rates of twin and triplet deliveries since European monitoring began, alongside low complication rates. Since 1997, the EIM Consortium has documented over 15.8 million ART cycles and 3.27 million infants. Read the ESHRE release.
Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy admissions rising in England
A population-level analysis of nearly 787,000 miscarriage admissions and 211,000 ectopic pregnancy admissions in England between 2004 and 2024 found admissions rising again in the post-COVID period after years of decline. Lead author Sindhu Sekar of the University of Liverpool pointed to complex drivers including pandemic-related healthcare changes, increasing maternal age, and rising obesity.
The study also revealed persistent socioeconomic inequalities that showed little sign of narrowing: women in the most deprived communities had roughly 2.7 times more miscarriage admissions and 2.4 times more ectopic pregnancy admissions than those in the least deprived. Sekar argued pregnancy loss should be recognized as a major women’s health research priority, calling it historically overlooked and underfunded. Read the ESHRE release.
Air pollution may alter how sperm genes function
In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers examined more than 2,000 men and found that exposure to common air pollutants during sperm development was linked to changes in sperm DNA methylation – chemical modifications that regulate gene activity. Ozone and nitrogen dioxide emerged as the strongest contributors, with 39 methylation changes identified. Notably, changes appeared in GNAS, an imprinted gene associated with poorer semen quality and implicated in fetal development. Lead author Dr. Carrie Nobles of UMass Amherst noted that because imprinted genes can persist through early embryonic development, the findings raise questions about whether fathers’ environmental exposures may influence not just fertility but pregnancy and offspring health. Read the ESHRE release.
Regional differences in sperm quality point to environment over lifestyle
A study of 386 men across four regions of Spain found substantial regional differences in sperm quality – with men in northern Spain recording an average total motile sperm count of 94.35 million versus 50.11 million in central Spain. Reduced sperm motility affected 23.9% of men in the north compared to 55.4% in the south. Strikingly, lifestyle habits were broadly similar across regions and didn’t explain the differences. After adjustment, only geographic location and abstinence duration remained independently associated with semen parameters. Lead author Professor Rocío Núñez-Calonge suggested environmental exposures like pollution may be the underlying driver, calling for stronger public health policies to reduce exposure to pollutants and industrial chemicals. Read the ESHRE release.
European public shows broad support for fertility and embryo research
A survey of 8,688 people across the UK, Netherlands, Spain, and Italy (commissioned by the Progress Educational Trust, supported by ESHRE) found majority support for state-funded fertility treatment in all four countries, ranging from 54% in the Netherlands to 64% in Italy. Support for embryo research and for genome editing to eliminate severe conditions also exceeded opposition in most countries – even where such applications aren’t currently permitted. The findings point to a public that is broadly supportive of reproductive science but still forming views on emerging applications, with more than a quarter unsure about the 14-day embryo research limit. Read the ESHRE release.
