Medically-assisted reproduction in Italy, 2021 data from the Italian MAR Registry

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Public Health Surveillance
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The Italian Medically Assisted Reproduction Registry (ItMARR) was established in 2005 to publicly disseminate epidemiological data on medically assisted reproduction (MAR) activities and outcomes.
• ItMARR data collection is mandatory by Law 40/2004, ensuring comprehensive reporting from authorized centers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) activities and outcomes in Italy for the year 2021.
• To analyze trends in assisted reproductive technology (ART) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles, including gamete donation and pregnancy rates.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of aggregate data on MAR treatments initiated between January 1st and December 31st, 2021.
• Inclusion of data from 340 authorized centers performing IUI and ART procedures.
• Calculation of key performance indicators such as cycles per million women and birth rates attributed to ART.

Main Results:

• A total of 92,407 ART cycles and 15,660 IUI cycles were performed in 2021, showing a substantial increase from the previous year.
• Gamete donation constituted 14.6% of ART and 4.2% of IUI cycles.
• Pregnancy rates per transfer were 29.4% (fresh), 35.2% (FER), 26.3% (FO), 41.2% (OD), and 37.9% (SD), with a continued decrease in multiple deliveries.

Conclusions:

• ItMARR is a valuable resource for reproductive health information dissemination in Italy.
• Future implementation of a "cycle-by-cycle" data collection system will align Italy's monitoring with European standards.
• The data highlight the growing role of MAR in addressing infertility and the ongoing efforts to improve outcomes and reduce multiple pregnancies.