Joytells a compelling and true account of how three pioneering individuals were able to successfully produce the first child through IVF that was ever born, but the process may look slightly different to modern science. IVF, or In Vitro Fertilization, is the scientific method which allows doctors to extract an egg and sperm from suitable donors, create an embryo by combining the two outside the womb, and then implanting the fertilized egg back into the body in order to continue the pregnancy in utero.

However, this revolutionary method is relatively modern, with the first individual to ever be born through this method being born in 1978. Prior to this, years of research and testingled up to the successful first IVF treatment, but there was considerable trial and error along the way as those on the edge of innovation in this space struggled to refine and perfect the method. However, with persistence and variable testing, success was finally achieved using something called the natural cycle method.

Imagery-from-Joy

How Joy’s “Natural-Cycle” IVF Worked For Louise Joy Brown

The Method Behind Natural Cycle IVF

In any IVF treatment, an egg and sperm are required to create an embryo. These are collected from the parents employing the method, or from suitable donors if the parents cannot provide the needed sample. In thebased on a true story movie,Joy, the method that eventually yields the desired result is known as the natural cycle method. This means that theIVF treatment is administered around the naturally occurring cycleof the mother, in order to increase the chances of success.

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This method requires intense supervision, near constant monitoring of the cycle through urinalysis, and collecting samples at the precise moment that they will be most effective. While this obviously leads to a more labor-intensive process whichrequires a great deal of support and monitoring, it was the best shot at success for the pioneering individuals who were early in their journey of administering successful IVF treatments to more women at scale.

Thomasin McKenzie as Jean Purdy in Joy with a Rotten Tomatoes logo behind her head

How The IVF Process Has Changed Since Louise Joy Brown’s Birth

There Have Been A Lot Of Advances Since 1978

Today, with many of the other elements of IVF, such as storage of the samples, creating of the embryo, and implantation all being refined from the earliest efforts,IVF can look noticeably different from what isshown in theJoyending. While natural cycle IVF is still an option for some, the chances of getting pregnant through this method tend to be considerably lower, which could lead to greater costs as those hoping to use the IVF method may need to do so several times before a successful implantation, if they have one.

Instead, modern IVF frequently relies on theassistance of fertility drugswhich cause a woman’s body to release several eggs at once rather than the typical one egg during a normal cycle. With several eggs, doctors can create multiple embryos, and implant several to increase the odds of successful attaching to the womb. However, this also comes with increased chances of having multiples in a birth, due to the body receiving several embryos at once.

Joy (2024) - poSTER

What The Success Rate Of IVF Is Today

The Odds For IVF Have Steadily Risen

Today, thanks to the more than 12 million children who have been successfully born through IVF, the method has improved and been refined considerably. Theodds of success are in no way guaranteed, but there are more methods and tools to use in order to ensure success. However, the conditions and success rates will vary dramatically based on the age and conditions of the women having the treatment, and the quality and sperm count in the male sample. For this reason, success rates can be as high as 50-55% for women under 35 (viaCDC), with noticeable reductions as women get older.

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While this figure is not incredibly high, there are many options that can be pursued, and repeated efforts to successfully implement IVF. Of course, for anyone considering these kinds of treatments, they would need to consult their doctor to get precise information according to their age and condition, but as a general rule,IVF has come a long way sinceJoy. With new methods, tools, helpful medications, and testing that can identify the strength of samples, and the viability, IVF is far more accessible and generally accepted today than it ever was in 1978 when the events of the film take place.

Joy

Cast

Joy (2024) is a film directed by Ben Taylor, focusing on the challenges faced by a nurse, a scientist, and a surgeon as they confront societal and institutional resistance in their pioneering effort to achieve the world’s first test tube baby, Louise Joy Brown.