Friday, February 6, 2009

Awful Statistics*

*I don't mean the statistics themselves are awful, I mean that statistics, in a general sense, is awful.

So I wanted to figure out what the chance was that I would get pregnant with the current round of IVF. I haven't taken a probability/statistics course in 20 years and I didn't pay much attention when I did. So I sent out the following question to some of my more mathematically minded friends.

A has a 58% chance of happening.
B has a 58% chance of happening.
(Two of my blastocysts were 4BB grade or better meaning that, in general, they had a 58% implantation rate)
C has a 33% chance of happening.
D has a 33% chance of happening.
(The other two blastocysts had not developed far enough to grade. Therefore I am assuming, for the sake of the stats, that they are low-grade).

None have any relation to each other.

Given the above:
1) What is the likelihood that at least one of those things will happen?
2) What is the likelihood that at least two of those things will happen?
3) What is the likelihood that at least three of those things will happen?
4) What is the likelihood that all of those things will happen?

The answers are:

1) What is the likelihood that at least one of those things will happen? 92%
2) What is the likelihood that at least two of those things will happen? 62.5%
3) What is the likelihood that at least three of those things will happen? 23%
4) What is the likelihood that all of those things will happen? 3.7%

I like those numbers. Is it Thursday yet?

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