Definition

A type of procedure used to treat infertility. The most common type of ART is in vitro fertilization (IVF), which involves removing eggs from a woman’s ovary and combining them with sperm in the laboratory to form embryos. The embryos are then either placed in a woman’s uterus or frozen for future use. ART sometimes uses donor eggs or sperm or may involve a surrogate or gestational carrier (a woman who carries and gives birth to a baby for a person who is not able to have children). Other types of ART include gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), but these are used less often. Also called assisted reproductive technology.