Medical tourism for infertility?

Since no one has replied I was just wondering if anyone sent you a PM? I never even knew there was such a thing and am just curious.

I did receive a PM about South Africa, which I'm looking into but not so much. :)

since dd's taking a nap I did a quick google search. there are tons of clinics in Eastern Europe, Turkey, India, that have very active medical tourism, including ivf treatments. the costs look great, plus you get to be taken care of in a way that just no one can afford here. some of the clinics are unregulated or not regulated in a way that we'd like in the west, so that's a problem. depends on the clinic, country, etc. Many folks from the UK are going abroad and these clinics cater to them. you might try the fertility boards here or inciid boards for folks who have more info. my guess is that the folks here just quit ttc long before they reached the medical tourism option, or ttc before this was even an option. good luck! Lisa

IVF began in Belgium. A very good friends sibling went there twice for successful IVF. Now they have one son and a set of triplets. It was very expensive but also more than ten years ago, so maybe the cost has changed. I know that there is a site where you can register for more information from them. Good luck.

Thanks...I'll look into some of those options. I'm all for combining quality medical care with exotic locales!

I was looking into South Africa at one time and I received a lot of info on it. They really have top facilities, the price is right and I have always wanted to visit SA. I will pm you the name of the clinic I was looking into--

So, exactly how cheap can it be out of country? Here in Minnesota, we have 3 clinics that have shared risk programs. The one I might use is $15K for 3 tries, and if no pregnancy, you get 11K or 12K back. (a little more if you are over 35, and a little more, like 20/15 if you are using donor eggs) This does not include meds. The other 2 clinics are very similarly priced. I just have to wonder if it could be cheaper traveling abroad. You would have to take into account all of the money for international airfare, longterm lodging, meals... Maybe you should also look into the different clinics in the US. Many have people that travel to them. When I was in Colorado, the clinics I looked at there had people from all over the world who traveled there to use them So, just curious, have you looked into any pricing in the US, maybe in other states? Good luck whatever you do. Take care, Renae

correct me if i'm wrong but many of the shared risk programs have a few requirements like age, certain fsh levels and so on. not everyone qualifies.

Yes, I believe there are some requirements. I know that the price varies depending on your age. I do not know if you have to have certain testing though. I am thinking about going forward with this in the fall, so I am not quite there yet. I did meet with a DR though this past Sept, and he said he suggested it to me even though I have had a failed IVF. I also have PCOS, and a blood clotting disorder and 9 failed IUI's. I know that everyone might not qualify, but it may be worth looking into. I just think that International travel is harsh, and I think it would cost quite a bit just for the travel part alone. But, maybe that is an option if you can find airfare deals. (Of course, my International travel experience is limited. Russia is not exactly a "hot" vacation spot. But that long flight was definately NOT fun.) Good luck to you all, Take care, Renae

for many places, the airfare is the bulk of it. In countries like India, you can stay in luxury for very little money. it may be cost effective esp with medication costs so high here in the US. good luck renae, hope it all works out for you :) . Lisa

Thanks. Yeah, the meds are way too expensive! I think it is funny how the meds can be 3K or more for one cycle. Insane. Meds are not even included in the shared risk deals. Good luck to you too Lisa! Oh, and there is another forum site for TTC. it is fertilichat . com I am not sure if anyone is doing this on that site, but I know there are a few people who are outside the US who post there. They might be of some help also. I have been looking over ther more lately since this ttc area is painfully slow! :) Take care, Renae