Originally IVF was seen as a miracle cure for blocked tubes.
Since then it has been developed to deal with a wide range of fertility problems, and many experts will argue that treatments should be tailored to meet each woman's needs.
For many they do work miracles and provide the much-wanted babies.
For others, for no apparent reason, they do not.
Although IVF is seen as a treatment for women, most doctors are quick to say that infertility is a condition affecting couples, and it is the couple they are treating.
This is not always a very convincing argument in terms of the burden of treatment.
It is the woman who has to take the drugs, endure the sometimes painful and often humiliating procedures, and then go through the teasing process of imagining or feeling herself to be pregnant, while waiting to find out if the embryos have implanted.
But seeing infertility as a couple problem does start to remove any notion of blame, and emphasises the need for mutual understanding and support between the partners.
Below are some of the most common conditions for which couples may be referred for IVF, but there are some important warnings to sound.
IVF may not be suitable for all the people suffering these conditions.
Whether it is may depend on the severity of their condition, or their age, especially the woman's.
The conditions are not mutually exclusive.
Many couples will be affected by more than one problem.
Finally, the list is not exhaustive: as medical science has progressed, assisted conception has been developed to deal with a wider range of conditions.
So it's important not to jump to any instant conclusions, but take careful medical advice.