Utah Fertility Center (Pleasant Grove, UT) — Fertlo Editorial Review

4.5 stars · 579 reviews · 1446 W. Pleasant Grove Blvd, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062

Utah Valley sits about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City — close enough to the Wasatch Front's population core, yet far enough that families in Provo, Orem, and surrounding Utah County have historically needed to drive north for specialized reproductive care. Utah Fertility Center (UFC) was built to change that. Now part of the Ivy Fertility network, it operates four Utah locations plus an Idaho Falls outpost, with its Pleasant Grove flagship serving as the hub for one of the most active IVF programs in the Intermountain West.

This is not a general OB/GYN practice that happens to offer a few fertility treatments. UFC is a dedicated reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) center — the kind of practice where everyone from the front desk to the embryology lab is oriented entirely around helping patients build families. That distinction matters when you are comparing clinics, and it should shape how you read the data below.

The Physician Team

Six double board-certified reproductive endocrinologists staff the Pleasant Grove clinic — a depth of specialist coverage unusual outside major metropolitan academic centers.

Dr. Shawn E. Gurtcheff, MD, MS is a founding figure at UFC and has built the center's reputation for patient-centered care. His emphasis on individualized protocols and emotional support during treatment reflects the culture the clinic projects across its locations.

Dr. Deirdre A. Conway, MD brings academic credentials marked by research and teaching awards, adding rigor to the clinical practice.

Dr. Yetunde Ibrahim, MD specializes in assisted reproductive technology, fertility preservation, and advanced hysteroscopy — the latter relevant for patients whose infertility involves uterine structural factors that often go undetected elsewhere.

Dr. Erica Louden, MD, PhD, FACOG was named a 2025 America's Best Top Reproductive Endocrinologist. She completed her REI fellowship at Augusta University after residency at Wayne State, and previously served as Oncofertility Director at Vios Fertility Institute. Her peer-reviewed research record and oncofertility background make her particularly valuable for patients facing cancer diagnoses who need urgent egg or embryo banking.

Dr. Melinda Henne, MD trained at Stanford University for her REI fellowship after completing an OB/GYN residency at Keesler Military Medical Center. Her career arc across military medicine, private practice (Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine, IVF Florida), and academic settings reflects the kind of versatile clinical judgment that benefits patients with complex histories.

Dr. Addison Alley, MD, MSCI, FACOG adds a microbiology and DNA analysis background to the team — relevant expertise in an era when PGT-A (preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy) and PGT-M (monogenic disease testing) are increasingly central to IVF planning.

Having six REIs at a single location means the practice can offer continuity of care even during the intense monitoring phase of an IVF stimulation cycle, when patients may need scans on very short notice.

IVF Success Rates: What the SART Data Shows

UFC reports its outcomes through SART (the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology), the industry's gold-standard reporting body. The most recent publicly reported SART data covers 3,894 total cycles — a volume that places UFC among the higher-throughput programs in the region and gives the outcome statistics meaningful statistical weight.

For patients using their own eggs in a full retrieval cycle, cumulative live birth rates (accounting for all embryo transfers from a single egg retrieval) from the 2023 SART report are:

For first embryo transfer only (a stricter metric), the under-35 rate is 46.9% and the 35–37 rate is 36.6%. Frozen embryo transfers from previously banked embryos show strong standalone performance: under-35 patients see a 51.8% live birth rate per thaw procedure, and the 38–40 cohort achieves 51.9% — a number that reflects both laboratory quality and careful patient selection for freeze-all protocols.

Among new patients completing their first full retrieval cycle, 72.4% of those under 35 achieved a live birth — a headline figure that captures the cumulative benefit of having frozen embryos available for multiple transfer attempts.

For donor egg recipients, the live birth rate across all donor egg types reaches 49.9% over 436 recipient starts — consistent with what top-tier programs report nationally for this pathway.

UFC's own marketing claim of IVF success rates "up to 28% above the national average" aligns directionally with the SART data for younger patients, where national averages for the under-35 cumulative cohort typically fall in the high 40s to low 50s range. As always, interpret any clinic's self-reported comparisons against the publicly verifiable SART numbers above. See how to read IVF success rates by age for a full breakdown of how to use these figures when comparing programs.

Full Service Line

UFC's IVF offerings span the complete spectrum of reproductive technology:

Standard and Gentle IVF. Conventional IVF uses full gonadotropin stimulation to maximize egg yield. UFC also offers Gentle IVF — lower-dose protocols designed for patients who respond poorly to aggressive stimulation, those with diminished ovarian reserve, or patients who prefer a lighter treatment approach that may reduce side effects and cost per cycle.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT). Both PGT-A (aneuploidy screening) and PGT-M (monogenic/single-gene disorder testing) are available in-house. For patients over 37, or those with recurrent pregnancy loss, PGT-A can meaningfully improve per-transfer live birth rates by selecting chromosomally normal embryos.

Egg Freezing and Fertility Preservation. Social egg freezing for elective preservation is available alongside medically indicated preservation for cancer patients. Dr. Louden's oncofertility background is particularly relevant here, as time-sensitive cases (a patient about to begin chemotherapy, for example) require rapid coordination between oncology and REI teams.

Donor Egg Program. UFC maintains an in-house donor database, which can reduce the matching timelines associated with external agency arrangements. Donor cycles follow the same embryology lab standards as conventional IVF, and the 49.9% live birth rate for donor recipients reflects the consistency of that laboratory.

Surrogacy and Third-Party Reproduction. The clinic coordinates gestational surrogacy arrangements alongside its donor programs, offering LGBTQ+ patients and those with uterine factor infertility a supported pathway to parenthood.

Male Infertility Evaluation. Semen analysis, sperm DNA fragmentation testing, and referral pathways for male-factor cases are part of the workup — important because male factor contributes to roughly 40–50% of infertility diagnoses.

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL). A dedicated RPL program addresses the immunologic, thrombophilic, anatomical, and genetic factors behind repeated miscarriage, an area often undertreated at general OB/GYN practices.

Understanding the 4.5-Star Rating

For a dedicated IVF center, 4.5 stars across 579 reviews carries different weight than the same score would for a general gynecology office. Patients who leave reviews for fertility clinics are typically people who have been through some of the most emotionally and physically demanding treatment experiences of their lives — multiple monitoring appointments, egg retrievals, transfers, and often the grief of failed cycles. That this practice sustains a 4.5-star average at that volume suggests a consistently competent clinical team and staff that patients feel genuinely supported by. A 9-out-of-10 recommendation rate, cited by the clinic, is consistent with this picture.

No IVF clinic with substantial volume will have a perfect record. The patients most likely to leave lower reviews are those whose cycles did not succeed, and fertility outcomes are governed by biology in ways no program can fully control. A 4.5-star average under those conditions is a meaningful signal. For more guidance on evaluating clinic ratings alongside clinical data, see how to choose a fertility clinic.

Cost and Insurance in Utah

Utah has no broad insurance mandate requiring coverage for infertility diagnosis or treatment. As of 2026, the state's most significant fertility-related insurance provision is HB 94, which requires coverage for fertility preservation (egg or embryo freezing) for patients facing iatrogenic infertility — that is, infertility caused by a medical treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation. This is meaningful protection for cancer patients but leaves the majority of infertility patients without mandated insurance coverage.

In practice, this means most Utahns pay for IVF cycles out of pocket or through limited employer benefits. A conventional IVF cycle at a Utah practice typically runs $12,000–$17,000 before medications; Gentle IVF or mini-IVF protocols can reduce that figure. See IVF cost by state for detailed pricing context and fertility insurance coverage by state for a comprehensive breakdown of what Utah's statutory framework covers versus what you must negotiate through your employer plan.

UFC's Gentle IVF protocol is worth discussing with your physician if cost is a primary constraint — not because it is appropriate for everyone, but because for certain patient profiles (young patients, strong responders, those banking embryos over multiple cycles) a more conservative stimulation approach may achieve comparable outcomes at lower per-cycle cost.

Who Should Consider Utah Fertility Center

UFC's Pleasant Grove location is a strong candidate for Utah Valley residents who want REI-level care without the commute to Salt Lake. The six-physician team, SART-verified outcomes, in-house donor program, and comprehensive PGT capability make it genuinely competitive with any practice in the region. Browse all Utah fertility clinics to compare against other options in the state.

Considering At-Home Insemination?

Not every fertility journey begins in a clinic. At-home intracervical insemination (ICI) is a lower-cost, private option that suits patients with no known fertility diagnosis — including single parents by choice, same-sex couples, and people who want to try a few cycles before committing to clinical treatment.

At-home insemination kits like those from MakeAMom come with step-by-step instructions designed for donor or partner sperm. Kits are a one-time purchase that can be reused until conception succeeds, require no clinic visit, and arrive in plain, discreet packaging. Many patients use them as a first step while working toward a fertility consultation — or alongside ovulation tracking while they wait for an appointment slot.

If you have a known fertility diagnosis, have been trying for 12 months without success (six months if you're over 35), or your physician has already recommended IUI or IVF, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist is the right next step.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Utah Fertility Center's IVF success rate compare to the national average?

Based on the most recent publicly available SART data, UFC's cumulative live birth rate for patients under 35 is 61.7%, compared to a national average that typically falls in the high 40s to low 50s range for the same age group. For the 35–37 cohort, UFC reports 43.9%. These figures represent all live births achieved from a single egg retrieval cycle — including both fresh and subsequent frozen embryo transfers — making them the most complete representation of what a patient starting a retrieval cycle can realistically expect.

What is the difference between standard IVF and Gentle IVF at Utah Fertility Center?

Standard IVF uses full-dose gonadotropin stimulation to retrieve as many eggs as possible in a single cycle. Gentle IVF uses lower medication doses, typically retrieving fewer eggs but reducing physical side effects, the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), and the per-cycle medication cost. UFC offers both protocols. Gentle IVF tends to be appropriate for patients with good ovarian reserve who can build a viable embryo cohort from a smaller retrieval, or for those whose previous cycles involved difficult stimulation responses. Your REI will evaluate your baseline labs (AMH, antral follicle count, FSH) before recommending which protocol fits your biology.

Does Utah require insurance to cover IVF?

No. Utah does not mandate insurance coverage for IVF or most infertility treatments. The state's HB 94 (effective 2026) requires insurers to cover fertility preservation for patients facing iatrogenic infertility — such as cancer patients who need to freeze eggs before chemotherapy — but does not extend to elective IVF for infertility. Most Utahns pay for IVF out of pocket or through negotiated employer benefits. UFC's billing team can walk you through financing options; see our fertility insurance guide for a full state-by-state breakdown.