Where to go for infertility treatment abroad

Depending on your location and the course of infertility treatment you are planning to undertake there is no shortage of places to consider. A plethora of countries including Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic and exotic destinations like Malaysia are advertising their expertise in ‘reproductive tourism’ and helping couples to realise their dream of parenthood.

Choosing the country might depend on what treatment you wish to have. For example, according to a recent study conducted to ESHRE, British patients are heading to Spain and the Czech Republic for easier sperm donation.

Each country has the right to set its own standards of fertility treatments so it is vital for your own personal safety that thorough research is done beforehand as rules and regulations as well as treatments and methods will vary from country to country and clinic to clinic.

Perhaps one of the key considerations when choosing where to go is how far you are prepared to travel and how much you want to pay on flights and travel, remembering that you may need to make return trips to the clinic. Find out if there are direct flights (or other means of travel, such as trains) to your chosen country.

Turkey and India have long-time been cited as fertility hotspots. Treatment is much less expensive in India than in other parts of Europe, the UK and the US and ‘reproductive tourism’ is a burgeoning area.  The fertility doctors in India will often take a more holistic approach to fertility problems, drawing on their knowledge and understanding of traditional medical treatments like Ayurveda and naturopathy. Post treatment couples can benefit from Ayurvedic massages, yoga and Meditation.

Turkey and India are equally appealing to foreign patients due to competitive prices but also because the medical teams are often trained in the US or Europe.  Turkey is a great destination for a holiday pre or post treatment and is closer to home for European or British couples.

An important factor for infertility treatment is to be as comfortable and relaxed as possible so if you feel that a clinic located in a peaceful lake-side or mountainous environment will be more beneficial than a clinic located in the centre of a major city even if it costs more, go with your instinct.

Stress can have a major impact on your fertility and research on laboratory rats proved that stress affected their ovulation, so if you are going to try IVF then consider an ‘IVF holiday’.  Some providers offer programmes in a romantic beach location and combine infertility treatment with relaxation techniques like massage and counselling to help achieve the best results.

The programme begins in your home country then the blood tests and follicular monitoring will begin once you arrive, followed by egg retrieval and embryo transfer.  Between all procedures and appointments couples can enjoy a relaxing holiday, far from the mechanical approach and stress/anxiety of trying for a baby. The programme is done in two weeks so you can enjoy complete privacy and even tell everyone that you are just on vacation!