IVF may dominate headlines, but a growing number of physicians argue there’s a better way to help women struggling with infertility — one that’s more affordable, more effective, and actually treats the root cause of the problem.

In an Aug. 4 editorial for The Federalist, five physicians — Drs. Marguerite Duane, Lynn Keenan, Naomi Whittaker, Patrick Yeung, and Gavin Puthoff — defended restorative reproductive medicine (RRM) as a science-based alternative to IVF that prioritizes healing over high-tech shortcuts. 

The doctors pushed back against recent claims by mainstream medical groups that RRM is “nonmedical” or “non-patient-centered.”

“Both of these statements are inaccurate,” they wrote. “As physician leaders who teach about RRM, incorporate this approach in clinical practice, and perform restorative surgeries, we firmly oppose this characterization.”

Far from being outdated or fringe, RRM “is both medical and patient-centered” — and in many cases, far more successful than IVF, the authors said.

Rather than bypassing the body’s natural function, RRM identifies and treats the underlying disorders causing infertility. 

“Infertility is not a disease but a symptom of underlying disorders,” the doctors wrote. 

In one study they cited, over 99% of women referred for RRM with a diagnosis of “unexplained infertility” received a clear explanation for their struggles.

One of them was a woman whose painful periods were dismissed for years with prescriptions for birth control and painkillers. When she couldn’t conceive, her doctor pushed her toward IVF. After multiple failed transfers, the woman saw an RRM physician who diagnosed her with endometriosis. Following treatment, she conceived naturally within months.

“When she finally found an RRM physician to address her underlying problems leading to her infertility,” they wrote, “she had profound emotions following her surgery for endometriosis — joy at finally conceiving a few months after the surgery, but intense anger that her pain was literally gone and she had missed so much of life because of the band-aid approach she had received.”

At the heart of RRM is a diagnostic method rooted in real-time observation. Women chart physical signs and biomarkers that track their hormonal changes, giving physicians crucial data often missed in standard care. These charts not only guide treatment and monitor progress — they also help women better understand their own health, according to the doctors.

Despite its value, this method remains largely ignored in conventional medical settings, the doctors noted.

“Although the female cycle chart serves as a daily diary of a woman’s hormonal health, enables personalized care, and helps women understand their bodies, they are not used in standard medical practice, and this information is not routinely taught in medical schools,” the authors said.

The approach also offers a dramatic cost advantage. A 2025 systematic review found that while IVF typically costs $10,000 – $15,000 per cycle, RRM treatment averages just $2,000 – $5,000 — with better live birth rates (40 – 60% compared to 30 – 40% with IVF).

“The need is great. The time to pursue this modern, evidence-based, patient-centered approach is now,” the doctors concluded. “Restorative reproductive medicine can help make America healthy, and fertile, again.”

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