Fertility tourism, or going abroad for fertility treatments, can be daunting for would-be parents. Traveling to foreign countries means having to deal with different cultures, laws, and medical regulations. All this can leave fertility tourists with questions about the safety, efficacy, and cost of seeking fertility treatments abroad. And rightly so.
That’s why I’m delighted to point you to Dawn Davenport’s 
Davenport, Best-Boss, and Woodman help answer questions about the safety, efficacy and cost of reproductive tourism in a clear and concise manner. Some highlights:
How long should people plan on being abroad for their fertility procedures?
30 to 45 days, depending on their relationship with their physicians.A trip abroad for IVF alone can be as short as 10-15 days, provided the patient plans ahead. For example, doing some of the work before the trip, such as testing, monitoring, etc can cut off a week or two from the trip.
Are the facility’s medical treatments and the physicians’ expertise the same as the US in clinics abroad? It depends on the clinic, which means the patient needs to do their homework.
Something to keep in mind: fertility patients tend to pay attention to the doctors’ credentials, but ignore the accreditation of the lab. In some cases, this could mean having laboratory staff without bachelor’s degrees.
Look for labs to have an HCLD, or High Complexity Lab Director, on staff on the premises, An HCLD with a PhD is best. HCLD’s are responsible for freezing eggs, washing sperm and other fertility procedures, and their expertise and credentials are important to the success of the procedures.
What else should fertility tourists look for?
Patients should look for JCI accreditation. JCI stands for the Joint Commission International, the largest accreditation agency in the US. The JCI is a US accreditation agency that now accredits international hospitals outside the US. JCI. A JCI accredited clinic or hospital means the consumer can do an apples to apples comparison with US clinics and hospitals.
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With treatments available to 10,000 USD lesser in other countries like India, China, Israel, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Spain, Belgium, Sweden & Denmark. Each country with its own advantage offers special advantages to fertility tourists. For best male infertility treatments globally choose Israel, India for surrogates & cost efficiency, Mexico for couples with financial and insurance hassles, Denmark & Sweden for women looking for artificial insemination.
Abbie, JCI accreditation is certainly a good place to start. However, very few IVF clinics, if any, are accredited by JCI. There are a few agencies in the U.S., Europe and Latin Ameica that oversee accreditation of fertility clinics. Moreover, some international clinics are actualy accredited here in the U.S.