4% of American Women Considering IVF willing to travel for it

19-Aug-2010

Most American Women Agree with Jennifer Aniston: 83% Surveyed Support a Single Woman Using IVF to Conceive a Child

Women feel strongly about their ability to conceive

NEW YORK, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ - A recent survey of American women aged 25-45 that gauged attitudes toward In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) found that 83% of these women support a single woman using IVF to conceive if she is emotionally and financially able to care for the child.

The survey of 1,936 American women was conducted in June 2010 by Barbados Fertility Centre and Ipsos Reid. Barbados Fertility Centre is a destination for a growing number of American women and couples who want to undergo fertility treatment for half the cost of what they would pay in the US without compromising success rates.

"We have seen a sharp increase in patients and inquiries from all backgrounds in the United States, including heterosexual and gay single women and couples, so we wanted to better understand how American women view IVF" said Dr. Juliet Skinner, Medical Director of Barbados Fertility Centre, located in Barbados, in the Southern Caribbean. Not only did we find overwhelming support for IVF for single women, but we learned that most women considering IVF are willing to travel to receive it if there is a cost-effective alternative that provides exceptional care.

Key Survey Findings:

- Over one quarter of American women aged 25-45 (28%) who are planning to have a child are concerned about their ability to conceive**.

- Most surveyed (57%) were unwilling to travel outside of the US for any kind of medical procedure. However, fully 74% of women aged 25-45 who would consider IVF would be willing to travel outside of the US for the procedure if there was a significantly lower cost and higher pregnancy success rate.

- 57% of women who plan to have a child, or are currently unsure, are likely to consider IVF.

Added Dr. Skinner, "the ability to have a child, whether in a couple or alone, is something women feel very strongly about and want to have as many options as possible available to them. This includes freezing their eggs, IVF treatment and travelling for more affordable, effective treatments."

The high cost of IVF treatment in the US, particularly in California and New York where costs are the highest, has created greater demand among American patients for services at Barbados Fertility Centre. The average cost of IVF in the US is $14,000 USD for one treatment cycle alone. In contrast, Americans travelling to Barbados pay an average of $5,750 USD, which is less than half the cost of receiving treatment at home. Even with the travel and medication costs factored in, the entire cost of the procedure is still significantly lower due to the rising costs of healthcare services in the US.

** Calculated based on 50% of American women aged 25-45 who are planning to have a child in the future, among which 56% are either very or somewhat concerned about their ability to conceive

(50% x 56% = 28%)

About Barbados Fertility Centre

Since 2002, Barbados Fertility Centre has been helping infertile couples from around the world achieve their dream of having a child. The Centre offers an attractive, affordable alternative for fertility treatment that has proven to be both effective and enjoyable for patients. As experts in the field of in In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Intra-Cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and related fertility treatments, the clinic is internationally acclaimed for its extraordinary results achieved through innovative methods and advanced protocols in a highly-personalized, relaxed environment.

Depending on maternal age, the IVF success rate at Barbados Fertility Centre is 54%, compared with the US national average of 42%*. Using blastocyst, Barbados Fertility Centre is achieving a 71% success rate for women under 38. The high success rate is attributed to both rigorous clinical and laboratory standards, as well as the level of relaxation patients experience while visiting Barbados. The Centre is accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), the US health international accreditation body that ensures operating and safety procedures are comparable or exceed US standards.

For more information, visit us at www.barbadosfertility.com.

* Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). For women under 35

years old, a 71% clinical pregnancy rate was achieved in 2009 with

blastocyst culture.

About the Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCI)

Barbados Fertility Centre is a Joint Commission International (JCI) Accredited site, given the gold seal of approval by the US health accreditation body that assures high quality operating procedures and safety standards. JCI Accredited hospitals and clinics must have the same or exceed standards compared to the US in clinical outcomes, infection rates, mortality rates and cleanliness.

About the Survey

A total of 1,936 adult American women aged 25-45 years were surveyed by Ipsos Public Affairs between June 7th and 14th, 2010. Interviewing was conducted via an online survey utilizing the Ipsos iSay pre-recruited panel in the US. A representative sampling matrix according to age, region and household income was utilized to ensure a representative sample of the target audience was achieved. An oversample in New York and California was used to ensure a more robust base size for sub-group analysis. Weighting was then employed as needed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the target population. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.