How to Choose an Infertility Clinic

When faced with infertility, many couples opt to seek the assistance of a fertility clinic. A fertility clinic is a facility which helps couples conceive using technology. Clinics may offer procedures like in vitro fertilization (IVF) or they may have access to more extensive fertility testing to help couples determine the cause of their infertility.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Specialist referral
• List of fertility clinics

Choose an Infertility Clinic

1. Learn about the types of infertility procedures you may encounter at a clinic before you commit to going to one. Books like "What to Do When You Can't Get Pregnant: The Complete Guide to All the Technologies for Couples Facing Fertility Problems" by Daniel A. Potter and Jennifer S. Hanin (see Resources below) may help prepare you for the decisions you will face.

2. Check the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) website for information on the success rates of infertility clinics (see Resources below). A clinic rated above the national average should be on your shortlist.

3. Ask every infertility clinic you consider about staff turnover. An abnormally high turnover rate could indicate problems with management. It may also put the clinic at a higher risk for errors.

4. Choose an ethical infertility clinic. Some points you may want to consider are whether the clinic imposes reasonable age limits on patients and whether it performs only authorized procedures, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intra-uterine insemination (IUI).

5. Use the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) website to find a recognized clinic in your area (see Resources below). In addition to providing continued research into assisted reproduction and working the the government to provide strict ART regulations, SART also sets the guidelines for infertility clinics.

6. Ask your gynecologist for a recommendation. He may be more likely to refer you to a clinic staffed with professionals certified by the American Board of Obstetrics in Reproductive Endocrinology (RE).

Tips & Warnings

• Don't automatically choose the clinic with the highest success rate. While this may be indicative of a good facility, it may not be a good fit with your specific type of infertility or your personality. You should always make an effort to visit a clinic in person before you make your decision.
• You may want to check with your insurance company to see if you're bound to a specific clinic according to the terms of your policy.

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