11/29/2016 | By: Guest Contributor
Embarking on a fertility journey is a rollercoaster ride; patients are often plagued by emotional highs and lows that may leave them confused and frustrated.
Knowing the good fertility specialist from the bad is not an easy mission; but getting your hands on the best and affordable IVF clinic abroad is even more challenging and time-consuming task.
Finances and flexible fertility laws are at the root of interest in IVF treatments overseas.
This is a step-by-step guide to help you navigate through the maze of fertility treatment costs worldwide.
According to the book Conceptions & Misconceptions, by Arthur L.Wisot and David R. Meldrum, the IVF procedure consists of manifold factors that affect the overall cost. Fertility patients should understand the cost of each step when traveling abroad for IVF.
1. Initial consultation (can be 6% to 10% of the basic IVF treatment cost).
2. Basic fertility treatment includes doctor’s fees for egg collection and embryo transfer, embryologist’s fees for fertilization, ultrasound scans, theatre charges and anaesthetics.
3. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IUI) can be 28% to 40% of the basic IVF treatment cost
4. Hormonal drugs can be 20% to 80 % of the basic IVF treatment cost. Depending on your unique condition and drugs prescribed by your doctor for stimulating the ovaries, the cost may vary.
5. Embryo freezing treatment is sometimes included in the basic fertility treatment cost. Some clinics charge up to 20% of the basic IVF cost, plus around 10% of the basic IVF cost per year for storage and between 20% and 100% of the basic IVF treatment cost for later thawing and transfer.
6. Other investigations Immunological therapies: can be up to 50% of the basic IVF treatment cost.
7. In pre-implantation genetic (PGD) screening, to pick the best embryos: can be 55% to 120% of the basic IVF treatment cost.
8. Regulatory fee (dependant on the country) can be 4% to 5% of the basic IVF treatment cost. Charged separately by some clinics and included into the general cost by others.
The extra added cost of the basic fertility treatment abroad is the hormonal drugs. The age, length of infertility and physical condition of the uterus and endometrium (uterine lining) are the most defining factors determining the cost of hormonal drugs.
Not only does the woman’s age affect pregnancy success rate but the treatment cost also soars depending on the number of IVF cycles required.
Top Affordable IVF Destinations to Have a Baby:
IVF Spain:
Southern Spain is not only popular for its pristine, blue Mediterranean waters, luxurious beach resorts and now a completely new travel concept that’s appealing to UK tourists: Spain egg donation programs.
With top notch infertility doctors who insist their egg donation programs strictly focus on quality, extensive egg donor database and personalized patient care.
The exaggerated IVF costs in the UK make Spain a cost-effective alternative for egg donation in Europe. Not to mention, the laid back atmosphere in areas like Seville, Marbella and Alicante attract many British tourists and retirees.
When comparing IVF in UK and IVF in Spain, the cost for egg donation would cost between 4,000-7,000 Euros and without a waiting list for patients.
Many of the fertility clinics in Spain are seeing infertility patients from Italy, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, and Arabic nations.
The egg donor databases in IVF Seville, IVF Marbella and Alicante IVF clinics are the most extensive in Europe and the reproductive medicine technologies are second to none around the world.
Spain is a leader in reproductive medicine and continued advancements for infertility technologies and doctor and patient education. Spain is approaching infertility with a new found respect.
Read more: Egg Donation Programs in Spain Offer Proven Pregnancy Success Rates for UK Patients
IVF Cyprus:
Cyprus fertility clinics also a favorite spot for English patients seeking warm sun rays, flexible IVF laws and low-cost assisted reproductive treatments.
IVF in Kyrenia and Nicosia are key city destinations of the island. Fertility specialists in Cyprus are known for their exceptional skill and intensive training in fertility procedures. IVF Cyprus clinics are well-appointed with cutting edge technology and unique fertility package plans providing outstanding success rates.
IVF doctors of Cyprus are very considerate to patient’s time and have therefore structured their programs to run on a tight schedule for all appointments allowing to spend the least period of time and to attend to your personal engagements.
Affordable IVF Solutions to Create a Family in Europe
IVF India:
In many countries such as the UK, there are restrictions on the number of embryos that can be transferred in IVF to a maximum of two for women under the age of 40 and a maximum of three for women aged 40 or over who are using their own eggs. Egg donation India allows for six or seven embryos to be replaced at any one cycle, thus increase the chances of pregnancy.
It is not hard to understand why fertility clinics are popular among UK and European fertility patients. India was the second country in the world to achieve a successful pregnancy with IVF, only a couple of months after the UK in 1978. In India many IVF experts were trained and practiced fertility care in the West and are fluent in English.
The average cost of IVF in India ranges between USD 2,331 to USD 6,900.
Medical Tourism in India Touches New Heights
IVF Mexico:
To save more on fertility treatments in the US and Canada by more than 60 percent, couples travel to Mexico for IVF. There are a handful of factors why fertility services in Mexico are inexpensive. The lower infrastructure expenses lower cost of living, cheaper administrative chargers shrink the overall cost of fertility IVF treatments.
The affordable cost of Mexico fertility clinics allow patients to benefit from state-of-the-art technology at much cheaper price than in the US, UK and Canada. Mexico infertility centers are led by pioneering specialists who offer a wide range of IVF treatments including IUI, ICSI, egg donation, surrogacy and gender selection.
IVF Cancun is another sought-after destination in Mexico serving a large number of US and Canadian patients who seek short waiting-times and place to relax in tranquil surroundings.
Many clinics of IVF in Mexico comprise on-site lab equipped with high-tech facilities and are setting new standards for the future of reproductive medicine in Central and North America.
Fertility laws in Mexico are very friendly and resilient enabling patients to undergo procedures such as egg donation and gender selection.
