Couples who have been having problems trying to conceive are faced with more problems than just infertility. The costs of treatment can be formidable. For example, one cycle of IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000. When you consider that most couples require up to three cycles of IVF to conceive a child, the costs can quickly ad up.
Fortunately, not all procedures have such high costs associated with them. While fertility drugs can be expensive, they are a fraction of the cost of other procedures. Still, the cost of some drugs, like Clomid, can be as high as $4000.
While many infertility treatments are covered by insurance, the patient is required to pay up front and seek reimbursement after the fact. With possible costs of over $30,000, it can be very difficult to cover the costs until reimbursement comes. To make matters worse, some procedures aren’t covered by insurance at all! Surrogate parenting, for example, can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $60,000, and none of it is eligible for coverage.
Before proceeding with treatments, couples are advised to carefully go over their insurance coverage to ensure that they meet all of the requirements set out in their insurance policy.
There are also other, non-monetary costs associated with treatment as well. Couples will need to take time away from work in order to receive the treatments. The procedures can also be very physically and emotionally draining, especially when success is not guaranteed.
Despite the astronomical costs involved, there are several resources that couples can turn to in order to help finance treatments. Some of these are:
• Friends and family: Often friends and family are willing to help cover some of the costs.
• Flexible spending accounts: An employee benefit offered to help pay costs of medical procedures that are not covered by insurance.
• 401(k) plan: In some cases, you may be able to withdraw funds from your 401(k) plan. Be aware that you will need to repay these funds at a later date. Check with your employer for more details.
• Loan: A home equity loan or line of credit may be a viable source of funding.
• Shared Risk Programs: Some clinics offer a shared risk program, where the couple pays for treatment up front and is refunded if the treatment is not successful. Be aware that not everyone will qualify, and the definition of “success” may not mean taking home a baby.
While the costs of infertility treatment can be very high, with careful planning and research, couples can often find the resources necessary to pay for treatments.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Adoption: An Alternative to Infertility
Sometimes a couple that has been trying to conceive has to face the inevitable fact that they are unlikely to ever have children of their own. While this can be a heartbreaking thing to accept, there are still options available for the couple to raise a child. The most common of these is adoption.
While adoption is relatively rare in the US, it is still a widely accepted practice. Most adoptions are of children that are related to the adoptive parents. The majority of adoptions of unrelated children in the US are from infertile couples.
You can adopt a baby, a child, a teenager, or siblings. You can adopt a child domestically or internationally. Anyone can adopt a child, but there are many laws governing adoption in different states and countries. For example, anyone adopting a child from Korea cannot weigh 30% more than the recommended weight for their height.
Adoption can cost thousands of dollars; expenses may include agency fees, legal fees, medical and living expenses, and counseling for the birth mother. There is a lot of paperwork involved and it can be a long, frustrating process.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway lists the following steps that must be followed in order to adopt a child:
- Educate Yourself
o Learn about adoption, find out what’s involved, what you need to do, what is expected of you.
- Understand the law
o Learn the laws associated with adoption. You will have to comply with the laws of your own state, as well as any laws in the state or country of the child you are adopting.
- Explore your options
o Do you with to adopt a domestic child, or a child from another country? What agency will you use?
- Complete a home study
o Once you have chosen an agency, you must complete a “home study”. A social worker from the agency will help educate you, help you with preparations, and gather information about you and your household.
- Engage in the placement process
o You must now begin your search for a child. Your agency will connect with other agencies to try and find a match that works for both you and the child.
- File necessary legal documents
o All adoptions must be finalized in court. Typically the child must live with you for six months before the adoption can be finalized. During this time your agency will continue to work with you and assist you with any questions or problems you may have.
- Parent your child
o Adopting a child is a lifelong process. Parent your child, get to know them. Get any support that is needed for you or your child. Your agency will continue to work with you as needed.
Adoption can be a long, frustrating, and expensive process full of red tape and delays. It can also be a blessing to infertile couples who have tried everything else and have come up empty.
While adoption is relatively rare in the US, it is still a widely accepted practice. Most adoptions are of children that are related to the adoptive parents. The majority of adoptions of unrelated children in the US are from infertile couples.
You can adopt a baby, a child, a teenager, or siblings. You can adopt a child domestically or internationally. Anyone can adopt a child, but there are many laws governing adoption in different states and countries. For example, anyone adopting a child from Korea cannot weigh 30% more than the recommended weight for their height.
Adoption can cost thousands of dollars; expenses may include agency fees, legal fees, medical and living expenses, and counseling for the birth mother. There is a lot of paperwork involved and it can be a long, frustrating process.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway lists the following steps that must be followed in order to adopt a child:
- Educate Yourself
o Learn about adoption, find out what’s involved, what you need to do, what is expected of you.
- Understand the law
o Learn the laws associated with adoption. You will have to comply with the laws of your own state, as well as any laws in the state or country of the child you are adopting.
- Explore your options
o Do you with to adopt a domestic child, or a child from another country? What agency will you use?
- Complete a home study
o Once you have chosen an agency, you must complete a “home study”. A social worker from the agency will help educate you, help you with preparations, and gather information about you and your household.
- Engage in the placement process
o You must now begin your search for a child. Your agency will connect with other agencies to try and find a match that works for both you and the child.
- File necessary legal documents
o All adoptions must be finalized in court. Typically the child must live with you for six months before the adoption can be finalized. During this time your agency will continue to work with you and assist you with any questions or problems you may have.
- Parent your child
o Adopting a child is a lifelong process. Parent your child, get to know them. Get any support that is needed for you or your child. Your agency will continue to work with you as needed.
Adoption can be a long, frustrating, and expensive process full of red tape and delays. It can also be a blessing to infertile couples who have tried everything else and have come up empty.
Friday, January 8, 2010
IUI Procedure
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is a low tech method of assisted conception. Also known as artificial insemination, IUI has been used with farm animals since the early 1900’s and in humans since the 1940’s.
IUI is a very low risk procedure and one of the least invasive assisted conception procedures. There is no surgery required and there is very little discomfort to the woman’s body. It is not effective for couples where the woman has blocked fallopian tubes, ovarian failure, advanced endometriosis, or where the woman is over 40. It is also not effective for couples where the man has severe fertility problems.
IUI is used mostly for cases of unexplained infertility. It is also used where the man has a low sperm count or poor sperm motility, although sufficient levels of healthy sperm are required to make the treatment work. Otherwise, other techniques, like in vitro fertilization, are more suitable. It can be used for couples who are unable to have intercourse due to disability or injury. It is also commonly used for women who do not have a male partner using donated sperm.
The procedure is fairly simple and straightforward. The woman may be given fertility medications prior to the procedure. However, if only the male partner has fertility problems or the fertility problems are unexplained, fertility drugs will not be used as there is a much greater risk of multiple pregnancy. Around the time of ovulation, a semen sample is acquired (or, in the case of donor sperm, the semen may be acquired in advance). The semen is “washed” in a laboratory. This consists of separating the sperm from other fluids and concentrating them in a small volume, as well as removing any non-motile or otherwise unhealthy sperm. The cervical area of woman is gently cleaned
And the concentrated sperm is placed in the cervix or uterus using a catheter. The woman is often invited to lie down for a short period afterwards, although this does not increase the success rate
Although it is a low tech method with a long history, intrauterine insemination is by no means outdated and remains a viable option for couples who have been unsuccessfully trying to conceive.
IUI is a very low risk procedure and one of the least invasive assisted conception procedures. There is no surgery required and there is very little discomfort to the woman’s body. It is not effective for couples where the woman has blocked fallopian tubes, ovarian failure, advanced endometriosis, or where the woman is over 40. It is also not effective for couples where the man has severe fertility problems.
IUI is used mostly for cases of unexplained infertility. It is also used where the man has a low sperm count or poor sperm motility, although sufficient levels of healthy sperm are required to make the treatment work. Otherwise, other techniques, like in vitro fertilization, are more suitable. It can be used for couples who are unable to have intercourse due to disability or injury. It is also commonly used for women who do not have a male partner using donated sperm.
The procedure is fairly simple and straightforward. The woman may be given fertility medications prior to the procedure. However, if only the male partner has fertility problems or the fertility problems are unexplained, fertility drugs will not be used as there is a much greater risk of multiple pregnancy. Around the time of ovulation, a semen sample is acquired (or, in the case of donor sperm, the semen may be acquired in advance). The semen is “washed” in a laboratory. This consists of separating the sperm from other fluids and concentrating them in a small volume, as well as removing any non-motile or otherwise unhealthy sperm. The cervical area of woman is gently cleaned
And the concentrated sperm is placed in the cervix or uterus using a catheter. The woman is often invited to lie down for a short period afterwards, although this does not increase the success rate
Although it is a low tech method with a long history, intrauterine insemination is by no means outdated and remains a viable option for couples who have been unsuccessfully trying to conceive.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Infertility Causes
An infertile couple is a couple that has been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for one year without the use of contraceptives. There are many things that cause infertility, and fortunately most of them are treatable with modern medical techniques.
About one third of infertility cases are due to female causes, about one third are due to male causes, and the remaining third are either due to both male and female causes, or unexplained causes.
A common cause of infertility in women is ovulation problems, when the ovaries do not release an egg each month. They can be caused by problems with the part of the brain or the glands that control ovulation. Ovulation problems are often treated with fertility drugs, usually clomiphene.
Cervical factors may also cause infertility in women. The cervical mucus may not be the right consistency, may not contain the right nutrients, or may even contain antisperm antibodies. This is generally treated by intrauterine insemination (IUI).
Blocked fallopian tubes are the cause of infertility in 40% of women. If one or both of a woman’s fallopian tubes are blocked, then the egg is unable to reach the uterus, and the sperm cannot reach the egg to fertilize it. Blocked tubes may be caused by an STD or other uterine infection, a ruptured appendix, or prior surgery. Blocked tubes may be treated by surgery to try and unblock them, or a couple may undergo in vitro fertilization.
Weight problems are another potential cause of infertility in women. Whether a woman is overweight or underweight, a woman’s chance of pregnancy is lowered. While being overweight or underweight is often the cause of infertility, it is also possible that the cause of infertility and the cause of the weight problem may be the same thing. It has not been proven that losing weight will increase the chances of pregnancy. However, entering pregnancy at a healthier weight can reduce the risk of complications, like gestational diabetes.
The leading cause of infertility in men is low sperm count. Low sperm count can be caused by a variety of factors, including stress, testicular overheating (from hot tubs, tight underwear, or high fever), substance abuse, smoking, malnutrition, obesity, bicycling, exposure to heavy metals or genetic factors. Many of these are treatable and can also be the cause of abnormal sperm morphology or low sperm motility, also common causes of male infertility. Treatment for male infertility can range from fertility drugs to correcting the condition that is thought to cause it.
Age is also a cause of infertility in both men and women. While it may seem that infertility rates are on the rise, this may be due to the fact that many people today wait until they are older to have children. The rates of infertility rise in both men and women after the age of thirty.
These are just some of the more common of the many possible causes of infertility. Couples that have been trying to conceive can take heart in the fact that many of these are treatable, and chances of conception can rise greatly when the conditions that cause infertility are removed.
About one third of infertility cases are due to female causes, about one third are due to male causes, and the remaining third are either due to both male and female causes, or unexplained causes.
A common cause of infertility in women is ovulation problems, when the ovaries do not release an egg each month. They can be caused by problems with the part of the brain or the glands that control ovulation. Ovulation problems are often treated with fertility drugs, usually clomiphene.
Cervical factors may also cause infertility in women. The cervical mucus may not be the right consistency, may not contain the right nutrients, or may even contain antisperm antibodies. This is generally treated by intrauterine insemination (IUI).
Blocked fallopian tubes are the cause of infertility in 40% of women. If one or both of a woman’s fallopian tubes are blocked, then the egg is unable to reach the uterus, and the sperm cannot reach the egg to fertilize it. Blocked tubes may be caused by an STD or other uterine infection, a ruptured appendix, or prior surgery. Blocked tubes may be treated by surgery to try and unblock them, or a couple may undergo in vitro fertilization.
Weight problems are another potential cause of infertility in women. Whether a woman is overweight or underweight, a woman’s chance of pregnancy is lowered. While being overweight or underweight is often the cause of infertility, it is also possible that the cause of infertility and the cause of the weight problem may be the same thing. It has not been proven that losing weight will increase the chances of pregnancy. However, entering pregnancy at a healthier weight can reduce the risk of complications, like gestational diabetes.
The leading cause of infertility in men is low sperm count. Low sperm count can be caused by a variety of factors, including stress, testicular overheating (from hot tubs, tight underwear, or high fever), substance abuse, smoking, malnutrition, obesity, bicycling, exposure to heavy metals or genetic factors. Many of these are treatable and can also be the cause of abnormal sperm morphology or low sperm motility, also common causes of male infertility. Treatment for male infertility can range from fertility drugs to correcting the condition that is thought to cause it.
Age is also a cause of infertility in both men and women. While it may seem that infertility rates are on the rise, this may be due to the fact that many people today wait until they are older to have children. The rates of infertility rise in both men and women after the age of thirty.
These are just some of the more common of the many possible causes of infertility. Couples that have been trying to conceive can take heart in the fact that many of these are treatable, and chances of conception can rise greatly when the conditions that cause infertility are removed.
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