Medical Reproductive Techniques
About costs
The cost of medical reproductive techniques is one of the most important steps to consider. As it stands, medical costs tend to be very expensive and so are out of reach for many of us.
Here are some provisional costs that must be taken into account at the beginning your process.
For more details on the different techniques, please scroll down and click on the relevant icon.
Variable Costs:
Agencies facilitate and project manage the overall process, which requires a broad range of expertise from insurance, to medical treatment, sperm and/or egg donation, surrogacy exams and support, legal representation as well as newborn care, travel and general guidance. Obviously, the more complex the process the higher the fee.
Legal Fees:
Since reproductive techniques are a very sensitive matter, a comprehensive legal contract is required in order to clearly define the responsibilities and rights of all parties. Also, it is common practice to use notaries (especially in the USA) as well as the apostille certification in international surrogacy.
Travel Costs:
Travel costs depend on where you live and where the doctors, surrogate and/or donors as well as the hospital are located. It is a standard practise to visit the surrogate before and during the process. You must also consider where you will be based immediately following the birth. Some people are able to fly with their newborns almost immediately, however others must wait for a passport, which can take up to a few months, depending on the relevant international consulate or embassy.
Insurance:
The USA is one the the most mature markets for medical reproductive techniques, particularly in surrogacy. However, insurance and medical costs in the USA are very expensive and it can be almost impossible to find an insurer that is willing to cover the medical costs in USA. Also, you should be aware that people tend to transfer two eggs/embryos at a time in order to improve the odds of a successful pregnancy, which has greatly increased the number of twin and multiple pregnancies. In this case, it is more common to give birth via C-section with an increased chance of time spent in intensive care.
Passport and Court Process Costs:
In order to obtain a passport for your newborn, every country currently has a different policy and tends to have very specific laws in place. An advantage of the USA is that anyone that is born on US soil is automatically a US citizen. This can be very helpful for leaving the USA quickly to return home. However, in most countries the right of a Passport is much less achievable, which can leave babies in limbo and without a passport. To avoid this problem you should ask for information about naturalisation in your country prior to birth.
Treatment Specifications
Nowadays, most biological reproductive problems can be resolved using the latest in medical techniques and procedures. However, complex ethical problems and the current moral code inhibit access to these techniques on a mass scale. Some of the latest procedures are also considered controversial; they often require a complex legal process and are based on highly technical knowledge. As a result, these procedures tend not to be widely known or used and, frequently, are feared by most people. Here are some of the in high demand techniques:
Infertility is a big problem that affects far too many people across the globe. Research by the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that in 2010, 48.5 million couples worldwide were unable to have a child. After many years of intense research and study, scientists and doctors have now managed to develop ways to respond to most of these difficulties.
Unfortunately, medicine has not been able to solve every problem. The significant obstacles of antiquated morals, legal bureaucracy and rising costs have prevented many people from pursuing this journey.