If you're struggling to conceive and on the path to parenthood, looking to have a baby and are considering, planning or about to have fertility treatment like IVF, ICSI, Egg Donation, Sperm donation, Embryo donation treatment in Europe and in places like Spain, Greece, Portugal and Czech Republic then you're in the right place.
I'm Emma Haslam and since the birth of our son in 2018, I have made it my mission to make fertility treatment more transparent, accessible, supported and affordable. I now help people around the world just like you to find a safe, best fit clinic and navigate fertility treatment in Europe. And since 2019 I have helped 100s of people around the world to make informed decisions that are right for them and to have fertility treatment in Europe and achieve their dreams of starting or expanding their families.
I get asked a lot of questions about having fertility treatment like IVF abroad in Europe. Every time someone asks me a question I write it down so I can create content for my social media, blog and podcast to help my audience.
There are certain questions that I get asked a lot and so I thought it would be helpful to cover some of my most frequently asked questions and answer them in this blog post and future ones.
Frequently asked questions about having fertility treatment abroad
I’m female and in a relationship with another female, can we have treatment everywhere in Europe?
Unfortunately not. Which is ridiculous, I know. There are some countries that legally cannot offer you treatment unless you are in a male and female couple. There are also some countries that are more liberal than others and this is the same for clinics too, usually depending on their location. Look out for the clinics that display the LGBTQ plus badges on their website showing their support for the community. You want to be comfortable with where you're going in terms of your chosen clinic and destination.
I'm a single female, can I have treatment abroad? It's the similar answer to the last question.
It depends on the country, so make sure you check this out in advance of starting to research the best fertility clinics abroad.
I am a person of colour. Can I go anywhere abroad to get an egg donor to match to my ethnicity?I
It will depend on where you go in terms of country and then looking at the clinics availability of donors that match your requirements
Are clinics abroad COVID safe?
The clinics are work with are, you know these state of the art, world class, medically clean clinics that comply to the required regulations to keep us safe and from things like Covid-19 and infection control in general. This is a question to ask the clinic and see how they respond.
Are there waiting lists for treatment at fertility clinics abroad?
At a lot of the clinics abroad, there are no waiting times for treatment. If having own egg IVF with ICSI, typically there are no waiting times of treatment. I know in Greece in August, a lot of the clinics have a two to three week shutdown period, that's when they have their holiday and it's because it’s very hot in Greece in August. And so that can then impact on waiting times for treatment because they've had that shutdown period. So that's something to bear in mind if you're thinking about going to Greece around that time of year.
Sometimes there is a wait to be matched to an egg and or sperm donor, but it is typically a lot quicker than in the UK for example and particularly for people of colour. I've had clients where it's taken like a week to be matched up to kind of four months, but typically it kind of sits somewhere in the middle around about eight weeks, but that's a very loose timeline and it really does depend on your characteristics, your preferences, and the country and clinic in which you're looking at. All of these things will impact on that timeline, but while you wait you can get everything prepared and ready for your treatment.
Can I get my fertility medication organised from my home country, or do I have to go abroad to get my IVF medication?
You can go abroad to get your medication, but you don't have to. Or some people do a hybrid of both. In most countries around the world you should be able to get your medication in your home country, but if this isn’t an option then you are able to get the medication from the country in which you are having your treatment. If you are getting your medication at home then there are lots of ways to do this, depending on where you live.
Free Resources & Step-By-Step Guides
Want to find out more about having fertility treatment in mainland Europe?
Take my free quiz here and no matter where you are in the process - new to the idea, curious about, actively researching, or making plans to have fertility testing/treatment abroad it will help you! From your answers you will receive tailored feedback and suggestions based on where you are at now to help you take your next steps.
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For more support check out my free resources below:
Your IVF abroad podcast & pick my brain call with me
Just search Your IVF abroad on all your usual platforms like Apple and Spotify, or you can listen here.
And if you need more personalised support to understand how having IVF abroad might work, so you can ask your questions to help you to decide whether it’s right for you then consider booking a 30 minute video PICK MY BRAIN call with me.