The right fertility center abroad
It is estimated that around 5% of all German IVF treatments take place abroad. We work with selected and continuously quality-tested fertility centers and recommend the most suitable center for you individually.
abroad
Facts and figures about fertility centers abroad
Although the relevance of the topic “infertility treatment abroad” is steadily increasing, only few statistical surveys exist. A 2010 study by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine estimates that between 11,000 and 14,000 patients across Europe undergo infertility treatment abroad each year [1]. With 24,000 — 30,000 cross-border cycles per year [2], this means that about 5% of all infertility treatments in Europe are performed abroad [3].
Which destinations are most in demand? For patients from Germany, the Czech Republic is clearly in first place with 41%, followed by Spain with about 25%. This is followed by other countries such as Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Poland and other destinations [4].
What are the reasons for fertility treatment abroad?
First of all, there is access to additional resources and possibly a higher standard of medical care. In addition, patients often cite lower costs as a reason for treatment abroad. For example, 82% of Germans who have infertility treatment abroad are self-paying [1] — so cost is likely to play a significant role for some of the couples.
Further, discrimination of couples in their home country due to regulatory circumstances may be a reason. Of the couples seeking treatment abroad from Germany, 11.2% are same-sex [1]. Although some hurdles to infertility treatment for lesbian couples were overcome in Germany in 2018, overall this option is still offered by only a few clinics. Lastly, there is the issue of cultural proximity. Patients may have a personal connection to a country because of their ancestry or family, which reinforces their decision to seek treatment in that country.
In addition to health and safety risks, language, information and legal barriers are also important. This is because although many fertility centers abroad are now geared to German-speaking patients, the process is not always easy.
What are important criteria when choosing a fertility centre?
In order to fulfill your desire to have a child, you should choose a fertility clinic that meets your requirements and where you feel comfortable. When choosing a clinic, there are a number of aspects to consider in order to ensure that the therapy goes as smoothly as possible. The success of a therapy depends on various factors. Both the experience and qualifications of the medical team and the technological status of the laboratory equipment (for example, whether the clinic has a clean room laboratory) can have an impact on the success rate.
In addition to the success rate, there are other issues that can be decisive in the selection process. Good counselling on the choice of therapy, as well as personal care and the availability of the doctor can help you to get rid of worries and unanswered questions. In order to go through with the process of fulfilling your child wish with confidence, the experiences of previous patients can also give an indication of the quality or shortcomings of a practice.
Another aspect are the costs. To avoid surprises, fertility centres that maintain a high degree of price transparency are recommended. In the case of treatments with donor sperm, you should also make sure that there is a cooperation with an experienced sperm bank, as they often offer a larger selection of donor profiles and have many years of experience in the field of sperm donation.
When selecting our partner clinics, we always make sure that both heterosexual and homosexual couples or singles are treated.
Are you having a hard time choosing a fertility centre or do you have questions about different therapies and treatment methods? Our friendly team will be happy to help you in a free consultation appointment.
Sources:
1. Bolzen, S. (2018). Louise Brown, das erste Retortenbaby der Welt, wird 40 – WELT — https://www.welt.de/wissenschaft/article179900342/Louise-Brown-das-erste-Retortenbaby-der-Welt-wird-40.html
2. Czech Republic: Reproductive Medicine. (2015) — https://www.czechtourism.com/de/a/reproductive-medicine/
3. Human Reproduction. Supplementary Data (2016)
4. Gynekol, C. In vitro fertilization — Analysis of Data in Czech National Assisted Reproduction Register from the Years 2007–2011 (2012) — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23094774
5. ESHRE. ART Fact Sheet February 2018 (2018).
6. Fertility Report Europe. European Market Landscape (2015)
At Fertilly, we have made it our mission to accompany couples (homosexual and heterosexual) and singles on the way to fulfilling their desire to have a child. It is important to us to create transparency in the area of family planning and to inform you about success rates and prices.

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