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IVF-ET is probably the most well known of the "Assisted Reproductive Technologies". It is has helped infertile couples conceive and bear children for over two decades. Fertilization occurs in a dish. It was originally developed to help couples overcome tubal factor infertility, but has become useful in treating other factors, such as immunological problems, unexplained infertility and male factor infertility.

IVF is basically a four step process.

Step two involves monitoring follicular growth by ultrasound, to determine egg growth and uterine lining development. When it is determined that the follicles and the uterine lining are appropriately mature, a trigger shot of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is then administered.

36 hours after the trigger shot, the third step begins with retrieval of the eggs by ultrasound-guided-needle aspiration, an in-office procedure. A sperm specimen is then washed and prepared for insemination. The washed sperm is then placed in a dish with the eggs, and they are placed in an incubator for 18 hours. After 18 hours, the embryos are observed for normal fertilization, under a microscope, where the pronucleus of egg and sperm can be seen. The embryos are then incubated for further development into multi-cell embryos.