title: International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies world report: Assisted Reproductive Technology 2006.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  What are the access, effectiveness and safety of assisted reproductive technology (ART) worldwide in 2006?
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ART access, effectiveness and safety vary markedly among countries. Overall, there was an increase in the use of ICSI, single embryo transfer (SET) and frozen embryo transfer (FET). There was a decline in the multiple delivery rate (DR) and preterm birth rate.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ART is widely practiced worldwide and there is a need for its continuous monitoring to improve the comprehensiveness and quality of ART data and services.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective, cross-sectional survey of ART cycles undertaken worldwide in 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2352 clinics in 56 countries provided data. Data were analyzed at a country and regional level. The forms for data collection were developed by the International Committee Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART) and sent to each country or regional ART register.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of >1,050,300 initiated cycles resulted in an estimated >256,668 babies. The overall pregnancy rates (PRs) and DRs per aspiration for IVF were 30.7 and 22.8%, respectively, and for ICSI 29.7 and 20.0%, respectively. The PRs and DRs for FETs were 26.4 and 17.8%, respectively. Multiple DR per PR were 22.2% for twins and 1.5% for triplets following fresh IVF/ICSI and 16.4% for twins and 0.8% for triplets for FETs. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome complicated >4585 cycles (0.6%). Access to ART varied from 11 to 3988 cycles per million population. ICSI comprised 66.0% of all initiated cycles, FET 27.4% and SET 20.7%. Perinatal mortality rate was 25.2 per 1000 births for fresh IVF/ICSI and 17.5 per 1000 for FETs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  44.6% of the countries provided incomplete data. Quality of data varies among individual countries and is dependant on the policy of the local regulatory authority for monitoring ART clinics. Continuous efforts are needed to improve comprehensiveness and quality of data collected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adopting the policy of SET, FET and the cessation of transferring more than two embryos should be widely applied. ICMART will continue helping countries and regions to establish their own ART registries.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ICMART receives financial support from medical societies: European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), American Society for Reproduction Medicine (ASRM), Fertility Society of Australia (FSA), Japan Society for Reproductive Medicine (JSRM), Latin American Network for Reproductive Medicine (REDLARA) and Middle East Fertility Society (MEFS) and Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). All authors have no conflict of interest in relation to this work. We declare no support or financial relationship with any organizations or any activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
authors.forename: Ragaa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: G David
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Adamson
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Mouzon
authors.forename: Karl Gosta
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Nygren
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zegers-Hochschild
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D047928:Premature Birth; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D056826:Single Embryo Transfer; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic