Spain at the forefront of assisted reproduction treatment in Europe: why do so many patients travel abroad for their fertility treatment?

Every year an increasing number of children are born in Europe by means of assisted reproduction - around 146,000 newborns in 2014, with Spain being the European country in which most fertility treatments are carried out. This increase is most likely due to Spain’s liberal reproductive legislation and the state-of-the-art technologies employed. It is for this reason that British people are increasingly travelling to Spain to fulfill their dream of becoming parents. Dr. Jon Aizpurua, specialist in reproductive medicine and founder of IVF Spain Alicante explains why Spain has been and still is at the very top of assisted reproduction treatment in Europe.

Spain – liberal legislation and state-of-the-art research

Many Spanish clinics focus on British patients and on international patients in general. Many of these provide treatment in the patient’s own language and even have British staff members to create a relationship of trust between the parties.

IVF Spain does both of these things, but in addition is specialised in the management of complex cases such as recurrent miscarriages, implantation failure, and immunological and genetic problems which affect conception. They also have an excellent Egg Donation program that has its own anonymous donor pool with more than 500 young, healthy women from different nationalities of European, Asian and Middle Eastern origin, ensuring that there is no waiting list. The large donor pool also helps to ensure that both donors and recipients share the maximum physical similarity, required by Spanish legislation.

“For us, each patient is unique and we take all the time it takes to examine every single factor that could stop a woman from achieving a pregnancy and giving birth to a healthy child”, states Dr Jon Aizpurua, founder of international fertility clinic, IVF Spain Alicante.

This, together with the liberal legislation surrounding fertility treatment in Spain, provides all the means necessary for successful treatment. As a result of many years of research and fertility experts with broad experience and the latest technologies, the majority of patients treated in Spain feel well taken care of. Indeed, according to the Spanish Fertility Association (SEF), 40% of all egg donation treatments in Europe are carried out in Spain.

Egg donation abroad: what you need to know?

From a psychological point of view it is important that all patients feel taken care of during the course of their treatment. Choosing a fertility clinic in Spain has the advantage of combining fertility treatment with a relaxing break, which can impact positively on outcome. A stay in an enjoyable environment may give women who have already undergone several treatments in their home countries the strength to undergo and cope with a new treatment, and possibly prepare for the resulting pregnancy.

The large and increasing number of fertility clinics and treatments that patients have access to these days can be confusing,  however a good fertility clinic can be recognized by how it approaches each patient’s individual situation. "It is important to us to personally look after our patients before, during and after the treatment. Thanks to our international patient care team, patients can feel at home under the Spanish sun" declares Dr. Aizpurua. At IVF Spain Alicante an experienced team of fertility specialists backed by state-of-the-art technology, guide and support their patients throughout the whole process.

Ultimately, it is also very important to get a clear picture of the fertility clinic itself and, whenever possible, to meet the medical and patient care team that will be involved in your treatment. “Empathy, expertise and professionalism plus the latest technology must all be considered when choosing the right clinic” says Dr. Aizpurua.

 
Article by: Dr. Jon Aizpurua General director IVF SPAIN
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IVF-Spain is modern, patient-focused infertility clinic in Alicante, Spain. Offering a full range of fertility treatments including natural cycle IVF, ICSI and IMSI, the clinic has an emphasis on the international egg donation programme and specialises in special IVF cases such as recurrent miscarriages, implantation failures and genetic diseases.