Anyone going through fertility treatment wants to be sure they're being treated at the best clinic they can afford. We invest a huge amount both financially and emotionally in our treatment, and it isn't always easy to feel completely sure you've made the right choice if you're faced with a bewildering array of statistics on success rates for different treatments.
Sometimes there may not be a choice of clinics if you're not in a position to travel long distances or if you're having state funded treatment, but for those who are going to have to choose, I've compiled a quick checklist below. I hope it may help you feel more confident that you know what you're looking for, and that you understand what may, and may not, be important.
1. LOCATION
It sounds obvious, but a journey that seems perfectly acceptable for an occasional visit to the clinic can soon become too much when you're doing it two or three times a week during fertility treatment. As more and more of us travel for treatment, and often not just a few miles down the road but to clinics in different countries, it is important to be realistic about how long the journey is going to take, and how you are going to do it. If you're travelling overseas, you may want to feel confident you could get to your clinic at short notice if necessary.
2. COST
Some clinics charge far more for treatment than others, and paying more isn't a guarantee of better treatment or higher success rates. It is really important to check what is included in the price you are quoted, as you can end up with a far larger bill than you'd anticipated if tests, scans or drugs are paid for separately.
3. SPECIALISMS
It is always worth checking that your clinic has experience at dealing with patients with your particular fertility problem, and that it offers all the relevant treatments. Although most clinics are used to dealing with a range of problems, some only provide a limited range of treatments and others specialise in certain areas.
4. WAITING LISTS
If you're worried about your biological clock, you are not going to want to opt for a clinic with a really long waiting list for treatment. Find out how long it will take to get an appointment, and how long you will then wait for any necessary treatment.
5. SUCCESS RATES
Be careful with these - they're not always as straightforward as they look. Make sure you are comparing like with like - a pregnancy success rate is not the same as a live birth success rate, and check whether the figure is a percentage of the treatments started, of those which got as far as egg collection, or for those where embryos have been replaced. Success rates are also dependent on the patients being treated, so a clinic with a lot of older patients who've been through lots of previous treatment may have a lower success rate than one treating younger women, or those with less complex problems. In the UK, the HFEA publish clinic success rates for all registered clinics.
6. ATMOSPHERE
Some people feel more comfortable in smaller clinics where they will get a more personal service, where staff will get to know them and where they may feel more relaxed. Others are happier in the slick, professional atmosphere of a larger clinic, where you may see a variety of staff. Only you know what makes you tick, but going through treatment is hard enough anyway and if it's possible to find an atmosphere you like, it may make all the difference.
7. RECOMMENDATION
A personal recommendation can be a great help. If you know someone who has been to a particular clinic and is keen to recommend it, that's certainly a good sign, but do remember that what is right for one person isn't necessarily going to be right for another.
Fertility treatment is never easy, but if you've done your homework, and you feel comfortable and secure with your choice of clinic, that will be one less thing to worry about.
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