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Are you looking for a fertility clinic? The decision of which fertility center to work with as you try to get pregnant is an important one. The treatment may be expensive and invasive, and the results will affect the rest of your life. Although you may be anxious to conceive, it's worth taking some time to make a careful, well thought out decision when selecting a fertility clinic. This page will help you learn how to choose a fertility clinic.
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Introduction
At least 10% of all couples trying to conceive are affected by infertility.http://www2.massgeneral.org/vincent/fertility_services.htm Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse. If you are experiencing difficulty conceiving, you may be considering getting some professional help. This page will outline some of the things you need to consider when selecting a fertility clinic. -
Step 1: Get Fertility Clinic Referrals
There are many ways you can find a fertility clinic. You can ask your primary care physician or gynecologist. You can talk to friends and family members about their experiences. You can even do a search on the Internet to find facilities near by. Some insurance companies have lists of facilities that they work with regularly. Using any or all of these methods to gather a list of potential clinics is fine, but after you have the referrals, you'll need to do some due diligence. -
Step 2: Evaluate the Fertility Center's Success Rates
The outcome that you want from a fertility clinic, a healthy baby, is actually fairly easy to track. The CDC has a searchable database that is also available as a PDF report that provides various metrics for fertility clinics. The statistics are from 2006, however, so if there has been significant staff turnover, they may not be relevant. You'll want to ask each center you're considering for updated information, but the CDC figures are a good place to start. -
Step 3: Determine if the Center is a Good Fit for You
After you're comfortable with the center's success rates, you'll want to make sure that it is a good fit for you. You'll want to ask questions about anything that may concern you. Some topics to consider include:- Has there been significant staff turnover, or is it a stable facility?
- Where is the fertility clinic located? Some fertility procedures can require frequent visits, so make sure the clinic's location works for you.
- How much do the procedures cost?
- Will your insurance cover procedures at the clinic?
- Are you comfortable with the clinic's philosophy about what types of procedures to use, and how they are implemented?
- Do you agree with their ethical guidelines? How many embryos are implanted per cycle? How are unused embryos handled?
- Are you comfortable with their privacy practices?
- Discuss quality control procedures. Have they ever had eggs, sperm, or embryos implanted in the wrong patient?
- What types of procedures do they perform most often?
- How familiar are they with patients who fit your profile?
