IVF TOURISM: 10 HOT TIPS By Kathryn Kaycoff-Manos~Part One

For many people, having a family doesn’t involve a trip farther than the bedroom...but for others greater distances may be traversed, some that involve a passport. So before you set foot outside of your house, let alone your home country, you first need to do a little homework. With so many options and countries now offering fertility-related services (IVF, PGD, egg donation, surrogacy) at lower costs and some having fewer restrictions, you’ll want to make sure to avoid as many bumps in the road as you can before the plane leaves the gate. So, for those whose passport is part of their fertility treatment package here are 10 tips to keep in mind:

1. Determine if you are going to use a medical travel company, your international fertility clinic or if you are personally going to oversee the administration and travel arrangements for your journey. Using an intermediary company can often be beneficial since they know the area and can direct you to accommodations that fit your travel and medical needs, the staff can bridge a language barrier if there is one and they can trouble shoot problems if they arise. If you’re lucky you may even fit in some sightseeing along with your procedure(s) and these companies can often assist with that too. The downside is that they often are affiliated with certain doctors and clinics and may not be directing you to the place or person that best suits your needs.

2. Check out the background of the doctor, clinic and or hospital you will be using. If available, check out the published success rates for your particular treatment (IVF, egg donation, etc.) and age group. If possible look further than those reported on the clinic’s website. In the US the Center for Disease Control (CDC) publishes these reports annually. It’s important to fully check out the standards, practices, and success rates of any clinic you are considering (an useful practice wherever the clinic is located). Make sure the hospital/clinic outside of the US is accredited with the Joint Commission International or MEDEX and that your doctor has the appropriate credentials for their specialty. While medical standards are high in many countries, regulations can vary, including the rules for screening egg donors, leaving it to patients to do due diligence.

3. Identify your main contact at the clinic is (it could be a nurse, third party coordinator, assistant, etc.) and keep their email and phone number with you at all times when traveling. Ask who your contact person will be after hours – in case you have problems or issues before and during your travels when the clinic is closed. Some doctors will even give you their cell phone number. Don’t abuse it or they may stop answering your calls, but if you have an emergency and can’t reach anyone that would be the time to use it.

4. You should get one or two personal referrals from the doctor or clinic. Remember, the referrals from the clinic should give glowing recommendations (presumably the clinic will give you someone with a success story), but also find out if there is anything they might have changed – whether it’s how long they stayed, the anticipated cost vs. the actual cost, what travel services they used and what their accommodations were like. You may also want to find out how fluent the RE and the staff is in your native or secondary language. Also, try and find any other information about the doctor that you can on the Internet. Remember, you may need to take some of the comments with a grain of salt when researching this way. Not everyone is successful or a satisfied customer no matter what clinic or RE they are with.

5. Check all of your prescriptions for necessary refills. Many travelers don’t start medications until they arrive at their destination, but some procedures will require you to start before you leave. Bring along a list of your medications and their generic names since the names may vary in other countries. It is a good idea to discuss your travel plans with your local at-home fertility doctor -- if s/he is receptive to you traveling abroad you may receive valuable suggestions and assistance. If traveling with fertility-related medications and needles ask your local doctor to write a note in case you are questioned about them.
 
Next week 5 more great tips will be revealed! Have you subscribed to the Global IVF blog yet? Once you do you will be notified when a new post has been published!