Keeping Fertility Treatments and Vacations Separate

Call it “fertility tourism” or “reproductive tourism” if you like… but don’t take it lightly.  That moniker might make traveling to a foreign country for fertility treatments sound chic or exciting, but the results can be anything but.  And the media is finally starting to pick up on that fact.
But let’s begin at the beginning…

What is “Fertility Tourism”?
Recently, clinics around the world (especially those in Europe, the Middle East and North America) have been wooing couples to visit their fertility clinics.  Touting excellent success rates, they’ve managed to attract hundreds of would-be parents willing to travel great distances to get fertility treatments as well as the potential problems inherent with traveling overseas for IVF, IUI or other reproductive assistance techniques. 
Some go because they think they’ll save money; some go because they are deemed too old to get fertility treatments in their country of origin; some travel because they are denied access to get fertility treatments in their homelands; and some simply want to work with physicians who won’t ask the tough questions that need to be asked.  Whatever their reasons, it’s becoming a bigger and bigger concern.

What Are the Problems with Fertility Tourism?
The problem isn’t that people are exercising their freedom to go wherever they choose; that’s perfectly acceptable and not a right that we would condone removing.  The conundrum is that they are doing it for the wrong reasons.  And they’re putting their health — and the health of any child(ren) conceived through fertility treatments they get abroad — at potential risk.

What are potential problems associated with foreign fertility treatments?

·         If something goes wrong, the couple or individual will be far away from loved ones.

·         If the doctor is negligent, it may be difficult to win a lawsuit.

·         The language barrier can become an issue.

·         Foreign clinics may not be as sanitary or secure those in the couple’s country of origin.

Final Thoughts on Fertility Tourism
It’s important to always weigh your options when it comes to choosing a fertility treatment provider and not take any aspect of the journey lightly.  If you’re tempted to go overseas, you may simply need to get a second, third or even fourth opinion at home.