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Canada Lagging Behind in Access to In-Vitro Fertilization

High cost means many Canadian women cannot obtain procedure needed to conceive

Ottawa – May 15, 2008 – Canada has fallen far behind other developed countries in terms of appropriate clinical care of women who are having difficulty having a child, according to an article published in this month’s Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada (JOGC).

In his article Distributive Justice and Infertility Treatment in Canada, Dr. Jeff Nisker exposes the ethical, economic and clinical implications of the very limited access to publicly funded in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in Canada. The article compares government policy and accessibility of IVF treatments here in Canada with that of European nations and Australia, and identifies the barriers that Canadian women face. The article also explains that, because most Canadian women do not have access to IVF and single embryo transfer but can sometimes afford fertility drugs, Canada is a world leader in triplets, quadruplets and higher-order multiple pregnancies.

“Only 15 percent of Canadian women who need in-vitro fertilization to conceive are able to afford the cost of IVF,” says Dr. Nisker. “Canada is one of the only developed countries where IVF is not publicly funded.” Even many HMOs in the United States fund IVF.

For women who do not have access to public funding the high costs of IVF treatment can present a significant barrier.

“When you have women being excluded from something as fundamental as childbirth because of their inability to pay, it might be time to reexamine the priorities of our health system,” says Dr. Nisker.

The oft-cited alternative, adoption, can also be challenging. The costs of adopting a child can be highly prohibitive, and long waiting lists and selection criteria may prevent potential socioeconomically disadvantaged women from successfully adopting a child through International Adoption or the Children’s Aid Society.

In his article, Dr. Nisker examines the economic implications of additional funding for clinically appropriate in-vitro fertilization. He believes public funding of IVF and single embryo transfer would save the provinces money by offsetting the costs of caring for twins, triplets and higher-order multiple births that result from the use of fertility drugs. As these children are often born very prematurely, extremely high costs for neonatal intensive care and for the long-term support of any physical and cognitive problems commonly ensue. Dr. Nisker argues that by providing public funding for IVF, these costs could be avoided.

Dr. Nisker’s article, Distributive Justice and Infertility Treatment in Canada, appears in the May 2008 issue of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada (JOGC).

About Dr. Jeff Nisker MD PhD FRCSC

Dr. Jeff Nisker is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Oncology at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario, where he also serves as Coordinator of Health Ethics and Humanities.

About the JOGC

The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada (JOGC) is Canada's peer-reviewed journal of obstetrics, gynaecology, and women's health. Each monthly issue contains original research articles, reviews, case reports, commentaries, and editorials on all aspects of reproductive health. JOGC is the original publication source of evidence-based clinical guidelines, committee opinions, and policy statements that derive from standing or ad hoc committees of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. JOGC is included in the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE database, and abstracts from JOGC are accessible on PubMed.

Contact

Mike Haymes, SOGC Communications
Tel: (800) 561-2416 ext. 325
Fax: (613) 730-4314
Email: mhaymes@sogc.com

Last Updated May 14, 2008