INTERNATIONAL: 'Who goes abroad for fertility treatment and why?'

A recent study offers a glimpse into the popularity of fertility treatment around the world. Although researchers studied a large portion of Europe, little information is reported about gays and lesbians.

During a one-month period, the ESHRE Task Force analysed data from clinics in six European countries: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. Questionnaires were provided to patients coming from abroad for treatment.

"The questionnaires asked about their age, country of residence, reasons for travelling to another country for treatment, which treatment they had received, whether they had received information in their own language, how they had chosen the center they were attending, and whether they had received reimbursement from their home country's health system. 1230 forms were completed and returned."

Notable findings include:

• 50% of French women were cohabiting - often in same sex couples - and 43.4% of Swedish women were single.
• Since 2006, the flow of foreign patients into Belgium had stabilised at around 2100 patients per year, and the majority of these were lesbian couples from France seeking sperm donation.
• In France, patients could only be reimbursed for overseas treatment where there was a delay at home, and treatment that was illegal at home, for example for single women or homosexual couples, was not reimbursed at all.

Article adapted by ProudParenting from original press release