IVF Disqualifications: Who Can’t Get IVF and Why

When you’re trying to have a baby, IVF disqualifications, the medical and personal criteria that prevent someone from starting IVF treatment. Also known as IVF contraindications, these rules exist not to shut doors, but to protect your health and increase your chances of a safe, successful outcome. IVF isn’t a one-size-fits-all fix. It’s a complex, physically demanding process—and not everyone is a candidate. Doctors don’t say no lightly. They look at your body, your history, and your odds—not just your hope.

One of the biggest IVF eligibility, the set of medical and lifestyle standards used to determine if a person can safely undergo IVF. Also known as fertility treatment criteria, it is age. Women over 45 rarely get approved because egg quality drops sharply after 40, and the risk of miscarriage or chromosomal issues skyrockets. It’s not about being too old to want a child—it’s about being too old for IVF to have a realistic shot. Then there’s severe obesity. A BMI over 35 or 40 (depending on the clinic) can make hormone responses unpredictable, increase surgical risks, and lower implantation rates. It’s not about judgment—it’s about physics and biology. Your body needs to be able to handle the hormones, the procedures, and the pregnancy that follows.

Other IVF contraindications, specific health conditions that make IVF unsafe or unlikely to succeed. Also known as fertility treatment risks, it include untreated thyroid disease, uncontrolled diabetes, active cancer, or severe uterine abnormalities like large fibroids or scar tissue from past surgeries. Even mental health matters. If someone is in the middle of a severe depression or anxiety episode with no support system, clinics may pause treatment. Why? Because IVF is emotionally exhausting. Adding unmanaged mental illness to the mix can make the process unbearable—or worse, dangerous.

Some people assume IVF is just a matter of money and willpower. But clinics follow strict medical guidelines, often based on guidelines from the Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction. They’re not trying to be harsh. They’re trying to avoid heartbreak. If your body can’t carry a pregnancy safely, or your eggs won’t respond to stimulation, pushing forward could cost you time, money, and emotional energy—without a baby to show for it.

That doesn’t mean your path to parenthood is over. Many people who are disqualified from IVF still have options—donor eggs, surrogacy, adoption, or even lifestyle changes that improve natural fertility. The goal isn’t to block you. It’s to redirect you toward what actually works.

Below, you’ll find real stories and facts from people who’ve faced these barriers. Some were turned away. Others found a way forward. You’ll see what doctors look for, what clinics won’t tell you outright, and what you can do if you’re told no.