Scientists say that within a decade, couples in their thirties will be opting for IVF instead of sex to conceive.
They say IVF is set to become a better way of conceiving and improvements in the technology mean they will be able to produce embryos with a success rate of virtually 100%.
The Times reports that IVF would then give couples a better chance of having a child, as healthy adults under the age of 35 only have a one-in-four chance every month of conceiving naturally.
Over-35s have less than a one in ten chance of conceiving naturally.
The newspaper says these advances in IVF technology will take the pressure off those couples who have delayed starting a family until later in life.
Currently IVF has a 50-50 chance of success among the healthiest couples.
However the authors of this new report, published in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine Online, say this can get much better.
The Times reports John Yovich, a co-author of the report, as saying: "Natural human reproduction is at best a fairly inefficient process.
"Within the next five to 10 years, couples approaching 40 will access the IVF industry first when they want to have a baby."
Apparently there has been great success with embryo production in cattle, with test-tube production 100 times more efficient than natural conception.
Gabor Vajta, an Australian vet and lead author of the report, says there is no reason why artificial human reproduction should not also become 100 times more efficient than the traditional methods of "trying for a baby".
Gedis Grudzinskas, a Harley Street infertility specialist and editor of Reproductive BioMedicine Online, told the Times: "It wouldn't surprise me if IVF does become significantly more efficient than natural reproduction, but I doubt whether you could ever completely guarantee it would work."
What do you think? Should we ditch sex in favour of IVF? However efficient it is?
Source: The Times