GIFT (Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer)

GIFT involves retrieving eggs from the ovaries, mixing them with prepared sperm, and immediately transferring the mixture into a fallopian tube via laparoscopy — so fertilization occurs inside the body rather than in a lab dish. It requires at least one open, healthy fallopian tube.

GIFT was popular in the 1980s–90s, particularly for couples with religious objections to in-vitro fertilization, because conception occurs naturally within the body. It has been largely replaced by IVF, which allows embryo grading and genetic testing before transfer. GIFT is rarely performed today but is still available at some Catholic-affiliated fertility centers.