Frequently asked fertility questions

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a clinic, and your personal preference will let you decide which factors are more important for you.

• Success Rates
  Success rates can be misleading, as clinics report their success rates differently. Some report the number of live births, while others only report the number of pregnancies, which can be misleading. Some clinics report on women of all age groups, while others split their results by age group, which will give a more accurate picture. Some clinics may exclude patients that have a poor chance of success, so their success rate looks better than those clinics who take patients regardless of chance of success. Make sure you fully understand how they compile their statistics
• Cost of Treatment
  Do their prices include or exclude the cost of drugs? Do they offer a reduced rate for a multiple treatment package? Will they offer a reduced rate if you are able to be an egg sharer?
• Clinic Location
  You will be visiting your clinic regularly during a treatment cycle, consider how you'll get there. If the clinic has a satellite agreement with a clinic or hospital closer to where you live, you may be able to undergo some of your treatment at the local clinic
• Types of Treatment Available
  Does the clinic offer a full range of treatment, DI, IUI, ICSI, PESA, TESA, IVF, GIFT, ZIFT, etc. Do they offer frozen embryo storage, blastocyst transfer, laser hatching? Do they have criteria for freezing frozen embryos? Some clinics will only freeze over a certain number, and some insist on only freezing those embryos with a high cell count. Do they run a sperm and egg donor service, and how long is their waiting list? Check that the clinic has a current license for the treatment you wish to undertake
• Infertility Counselling
  All clinics offering licensed fertility treatments MUST, by law, offer free counselling, and this should be available at all stages of treatment. Does the clinic also have a patient support group?
• Environment
  It is wise to visit a prospective clinic and ask for a tour to get the feel of the place. Are the staff welcoming, warm and friendly? Are they happy to answer questions? Do they have women consultants available if that is important to you? Click here for a list of all licensed IVF clinics in the United Kingdom according to county/area