Endometrial Receptivity Analysis

What is an Endometrial Receptivity Analysis (ERA)?

 In the field of fertility treatment, the term ERA stands for Endometrial Receptivity Analysis. It is a genetic test in which a small sample of a woman’s endometrial tissue is taken to assess if her endometrial lining is properly developed such that it can successfully accept an implanting embryo.

Why to do it?

ERA, which is done using the latest scientific technology, analyses the expression of 236 genes per sample with the objective of determining the optimal time window for planting the embryo into a woman’s uterus. This promotes a successful embryo implantation and in turn, a successful pregnancy in women undertaking infertility treatments. 

The menstrual cycle of each woman has an implantation window – i.e. a small window of optimal time during which her uterine lining reaches the perfect state for implantation. This window lasts for a few days, typically from the 19th day to the 23rd day of her cycle. While about 80% of women have this window at the expected time, the remaining 20% tend to have a unique window that occurs later or earlier than expected. In IVF treatment, to avoid implantation failure, it’s important to find if the window is open or closed before transferring the embryo to the uterus.