title: Italian Constitutional Court modifications of a restrictive assisted reproduction technology law significantly improve pregnancy rate.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In May 2009, the Italian Constitutional Court banned most of the limitations of a restrictive law regulating assisted reproduction technology on the grounds that it limited a couple's right to have access to the best possible medical treatment and reduce any possible higher risk of complications. The aim of the study was to compare our results in fresh cycles before and after this change.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed retrospectively 3274 IVF cycles: 2248 before and 1026 after the law was modified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, basal FSH levels, years of infertility, the number of previous cycles or the number of oocytes retrieved but the number of oocytes used (2.7 ± 0.6 versus 4.6 ± 1.8; P = <0.001), the number of embryos obtained (2.0 ± 0.9 versus 3.3 ± 1.8; P = <0.001) and transferred (2.2 ± 0.7 versus 2.3 ± 0.7; P = <0.001) were all higher after the removal of the previous restrictions, as was the pregnancy rate per started cycle (23.49% versus 20.42%; P = 0.047). Before modification of the law, the pregnancies were single in 74.11% of the cases (versus 71.43% afterwards), twins in 23.44% (versus 26.89%; P = 0.318) and triplets in 2.46% (versus 1.68%; P = 0.594).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary results after the removal of the previous legal restrictions show a higher pregnancy rate per started cycle (3.7% represents a 15% difference) and a positive (albeit non-significant) trend towards a reduction in the number of multiple pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, IRCCS, 20084 Rozzano, Milano, Italy. paolo.levi_setti@humanitas.it
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Levi Setti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Albani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cesana
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Novara
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zannoni
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Baggiani
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morenghi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arfuso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scaravelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence