Half of IVF couples’ do not realise their dream

HALF of the couples who have resorted to assisted reproduction to have a child have not been successful according to a survey by the Spanish Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU).

The survey, which has been prepared by the OCU from the experience of 1,273 couples aged between 36 and 38 years who started some kind of assisted reproduction, found that half had tried to have a child without success, although the success rate was higher among couples who attended private clinics compared to those who did it through the public health service.

The survey also highlighted the difference in waiting times between public and private health care when attending the first consultation: six months for public health compared with one or two months for private services. Starting treatment within the public system can also take a year compared to two months within the private system.

The OCU found that the most frequent problems of couples who resort to assisted reproduction is lack of ovulation for women and low sperm count in men. The OCU also advised couples to see a doctor sooner. If couples have been trying for a baby for more than a year and especially if a woman’s age exceeds 33, specialist advice should be sought as fertility decreases with age and deadlines for diagnosis and subsequent treatment “may take quite some time.”