In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Cyprus
is the most successful fertility treatment in the world. In fact, 8 million babies have been born since the first one in 1978 as a result of IVF. It’s no doubt that IVF has helped millions of people worldwide to realize their dream of parenthood.
Deciding to undergo IVF may not be an easy task for you. Choosing the right fertility clinic may be even harder. There are so many questions to ask and so many things to consider. The possibility to have a treatment abroad can further complicate the decision.
Thousands of people worldwide struggling with infertility found hope in Cyprus. This small island is currently one of the most popular fertility tourism destination in the world.
Cyprus seems to have it all. Beautiful beaches, Mediterranean climate, advanced healthcare and reasonable prices. But that is not all. Here is the list of 6 reasons why you should consider Cyprus for your next IVF cycle.
Low Cost IVF Cyprus
Money is without doubt one of the major drivers behind every decision, and IVF is no exception. Surveys show that hundreds of British couples travel to Cyprus every month in hope to realize their dream of parenthood. Inconsistent NHS provision and the high cost of private IVF treatment were reported to be the main reasons for people traveling overseas.
According to the statistics of NHS, one in seven couples in the UK have problem to conceive. Research on 241 British couples suffering fertility problems found that 44% had already had IVF treatment abroad, while 93% said they would consider it. One of the reasons for this is the high price of private fertility treatments. In the UK one IVF cycle can cost as much as £10k. On top of that, the UK clinics charge a lot of extra expenses per cycle. That means that IVF can often exceed £10,000 with the additional expenses taken into account.
IVF in Cyprus, on the other hand, can cost up to 50% less than the average British or Irish price, while maintaining the same high standards. The fertility clinics in Cyprus avoid additional charges since it’s all agreed in advance as part of the treatment package.
The cost of IVF abroad varies widely, from up to $8,000 (approximately £5,000 or €6,000) per IVF cycle in the United States for example, to as low as $2,500 (approximately £1,600) in Cyprus. Low cost IVF in Cyprus attracts thousands of patients every year in hope to realize their dream of building a family.
High IVF Success Rates
There are so many factors that affect the chance of getting pregnant with IVF. Age is one of the biggest factors that predict the success with IVF. A woman has the highest reproductive potential in her 20s. A woman’s fertility starts to decline in her 30s, with a steep decline after the age of 35.
There are other fertility factors that affect the ability to conceive including ovulation, tubal, uterine, male factor and unexplained infertility.
However, IVF success rates are one of the major aspects prospect patients take into consideration when choosing fertility clinic.
IVF success rates are essentially the pregnancy rates after IVF. They are the positive outcomes of IVF cycles. Another way to measure IVF success rates are live birth rates. These rates are calculated in the following way:
Live birth rates are more difficult to calculate due to the lack of information about the final outcomes of past IVF cycles. Fertility clinics usually publish pregnancy rates as they still indicate a certain level of competence of the medical team. While IVF pregnancy and live birth rates do have a special place in the selection of fertility clinic, personal circumstances and medical history should not be overseen.
Dr. Norbert Gleicher, a world renowned endocrinologist and Medical Director and Chief Scientist of the Center for Human Reproduction, states that there is one IVF outcome data that is the objective indication: the pregnancy rate in egg donation cycles.
According to Dr. Glecher, egg donor cycles are much less affected by IVF centers’ patient selection, because most egg donors are comparable to each other, unlike infertility patients.
Egg Donation Cyprus
Donor eggs Cyprus are a significant consideration in particular cases, especially if you are over 40. Factors such as egg quality and age of donors are extremely important. Using donor eggs from younger women may increase the chances of pregnancy. Success rates of egg donation are up to 50% higher than IVF with your own eggs. The reason for the high success rates is that the IVF centers recruit donors who are young and have normal ovarian reserve.
Many fertility centers use a standardized scoring system to effectively define and measure egg quality. This standardized system helps embryologists to better identify “good” versus “poor” eggs.
Additionally, some fertility clinics in Cyprus offer embryo donation as a form of third party (or donor assisted) reproduction. It is the giving of embryos remaining after one couple’s IVF cycle to either another person or couple for implantation or to research. Infertility treatments with embryo donation have the highest success rate since both egg and sperm donors are young, fit and healthy.
No Waiting List
One of the worst parts of IVF is waiting for it to begin. The anxiety of waiting for the first consultation, not knowing what’s next and wondering whether it will work or not puts you in a state of flux where life becomes unpredictable.
In Cyprus there are no waiting lists. Egg and sperm donation is anonymous. This means that there is no shortage of donated eggs and sperm. Egg donation in Cyprus can start after the initial consultation.
Egg and sperm donors in Cyprus have to be first tested for infectious diseases. Some of the screening tests are Hepatitis B and C, HIV, syphilis, CMV and Rubella. Other screening tests may also be done depending on the clinic.
While egg and sperm donors are anonymous, a lot of information is available to the recipients:
- age
- nationality
- height
- weight
- blood type
- skin color
- hair color
- eye color
- educational background
- previous donation history
Donors are not allowed to donate more than 5 times in a lifetime. The maximum age of a donor is 35 years. This is a guarantee that donated eggs and sperm are healthy and of high quality.
Gender Selection Cyprus
One of the greatest advantages of IVF in Cyprus is the possibility to choose the gender of your baby. Gender Selection Cyprus determines the gender of the baby before birth.
There are two main gender selection methods: Sperm Swim Up and PGS (Preimplantation Genetic Screening).
Swim-up Method for Gender Selection
The Swim-Up method is a sperm sorting technique that uses centrifugation to separate the X and Y sperm. Through controlled spinning, particles in a semen sample are sorted out into multiple layers according to their density. Sperm sorting separates the more dense X-sperm from the lighter Y-sperm thus allowing the gender to be identified.
The Swim Up method works best when combined with PGS biopsy which increases the odds of having a child of the desired sex.
PGS (Preimplantation Genetic Screening)
PGS testing Cyprus is essentially a screening which allows embryos to be tested for gender-related genetic conditions, before being placed into the womb. The eggs are harvested from the mother (or donor) and the sperm sample is taken from the father (or donor).
The collected eggs are then fertilized with the sperm in the lab. The resulting embryos undergo a biopsy procedure on the third day after fertilization that allows a single cell to be analyzed for male or female chromosomes. The main aim of the test is to make sure only the healthiest embryos are transferred to the mother’s womb.
Mediterranean Climate
With warm sun, sparkling sea, delicious Mediterranean cuisine, beautiful scenery and extraordinary sights it is no wonder that Cyprus is one of the most popular holiday and travel destinations in the world. The island is famous for having some of the most popular and cleanest beaches in Europe.
Greek and Turkish are official languages, and English is considered a universal language on the island. French and German are also well spoken within the tourist industry.
Prospective patients have the unique opportunity to have an IVF vacation in Cyprus. Most of the fertility clinics offer hotel packages with discount to their international patients and additional services to make sure their journey is as pleasant as possible.
With all these things in mind we hope that you’ll be able to make the right decision and choose Cyprus for your next IVF journey.Resources:
www.raconteur.net/healthcare/fertility-tourism-uk-couples-go-abroad-ivf
www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_and_female_fertility
www.centerforhumanreprod.com/services/infertility-treatments/ivf/success-rates
www.americanpregnancy.org/infertility/donor-eggs
www.web.stanford.edu/class/siw198q/websites/eggdonor/screening