Patient Resources
International Fertility Patients
Sometimes a dream is so powerful that you are willing to travel to the ends of the earth to make it come true. For thousands of infertility patients around the world, their dream of having a baby brings them across oceans and continents to the USA in order to access the latest fertility treatments, technology, and medical expertise. Fertility tourism, (sometimes called reproductive tourism) can offer hopeful parents-to-be their best opportunity to achieve pregnancy, but there is a lot to think about before you make such an important journey.
With thousands of fertility clinics in the USA, how do you choose the right one for your family? Careful research is the first step toward finding out what a clinic has to offer and whether they are a good fit for your individual fertility issues. In order to assist with your search, we have put together a series of questions to ask as you evaluate American fertility doctors.
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Does the clinic have experience serving the needs of international patients?
Coordinating fertility treatment abroad has unique challenges, so the clinic you choose should have experience treating patients who are traveling from other countries. Your clinic should be able to handle the logistics of travel and scheduling for all of the time-sensitive appointments, tests, and procedures required by international clients. When you are investing so much time, money and emotion in your USA fertility treatment, nothing should be left to chance. Flexibility, sensitivity, and expert coordination are key.
Everyone at SCRC understands that both travel and fertility treatment can be demanding. We are committed to offering our patients a calm, supportive, and compassionate environment as they undergo treatment with us. We want you to have a stress-free experience so that you can concentrate on your treatment and even enjoy a relaxing vacation at the same time. We have been honored to welcome many patients to SCRC from countries such as China, Singapore, Canada, UK, Brazil, France, Hong Kong, and Australia, and we look forward to helping many more international patients achieve their dream of bringing home a healthy baby.
Do they speak your language?
Good communication is at the heart of successful fertility treatment. It can be a complex process, and you do not want any important detail to be lost in translation. Having someone there who speaks your language can make a huge difference: it means that you can make sure that the team understands your goals, that you can communicate any questions or concerns you have along the way, and that you will know exactly what is happening at every stage of treatment.
At SCRC it is important to us that all of our patients, wherever they have come from, feel comfortable, confident, and empowered throughout their time with us. Being able to communicate with them directly about their care is vital. We are proud to have an international team care team who are fluent in many languages, including English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi and more.
Does the clinic offer the treatment and options you need?
Laws about fertility treatment vary widely between countries. It is one of the reasons why fertility tourism patients choose to come here for IVF: USA fertility experts are able to provide unrestricted access to advanced reproductive technologies without many of the restrictions and limitations you may face in your home country. The same is true of third party reproduction options such as using donor eggs, donor sperm. Our surrogacy clinics can help you navigate the medical and legal logistics of finding a donor and/or a gestational surrogate.
In order to get the most out of your trip in the US for fertility treatment, you should choose a clinic which offers you all of the services and options you need to address your unique infertility diagnosis. SCRC provides a full range of fertility treatments, techniques, and third-party reproduction services, including:
- Comprehensive diagnostic fertility testing
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- Non-surgical fertility treatments
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
- Assisted embryo hatching
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- Pre Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) — which can be used to improve IVF outcomes by choosing the healthiest embryos for transfer, and which makes gender selection/sex selection
- Embryo monitoring using the exclusive EmbryoScope incubator for better IVF outcomes.
- Egg freezing
- Sperm freezing
- Sperm retrieval
- Donated eggs
- Donated sperm
- IVF with gestational surrogacy
With a full-service clinic, you can be certain that you and your fertility doctor can create an individualized plan for your treatment.
Does the clinic use the latest research and technology?
Reproductive medicine is a rapidly changing landscape, with new research and new developments arriving constantly. The best fertility experts make a point of staying engaged with every new advancement so that they can offer their patients access to innovative treatment options and leading-edge techniques. If a new breakthrough could give you a better chance of getting pregnant, you want to know your clinic has the ability to implement it in your treatment.
SCRC offers patients the finest biomedical technology available in the field of reproductive medicine. Our on-site ART laboratory is equipped with cutting-edge equipment, staffed by world-class embryologists and technicians, and operated according to the highest standards. Our award-winning physicians are practicing at the top of their field: they are thought-leaders who hold multiple board certifications, regularly contribute to original research, present to their peers, are involved in teaching and mentoring the next generation of fertility doctors, and are deeply committed to educating their patients about all of the options available to them.
Is the clinic in a desirable location?
Whether you’re traveling to the USA for IVF, surrogacy, or egg freezing, your first priority is to receive the highest standard of care and achieve a successful result. Many patients also want to enjoy their visit to the US. You have come from so far and will probably be spending some time in the area where your clinic is located. Lowering your stress level is important when you are planning a pregnancy, so why not treat yourself to a tranquil holiday? Medical tourism can be an opportunity to experience some of the most beautiful and exciting places in the USA while undergoing fertility treatment. In between appointments, it is good to be able to relax, explore, and even have some fun.
SCRC has two full-service locations in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara. Both cities are wonderful tourist destinations, with easy access to amazing museums, restaurants, and attractions. Our Los Angeles clinic is located just a few blocks from the world-famous Rodeo Drive, where Hollywood stars shop, dine, and mingle in its exclusive boutiques and cafes. Just 20 minutes away you will find Universal Studios Hollywood and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, two beloved theme parks with fun and adventure to offer people of all ages. You can take a studio tour at Paramount, Warner Brothers, or Sony and see behind the scenes of your favorite movies and TV shows. In Santa Barbara, miles of beautiful sandy beaches take center stage, but you’re also surrounded by historical architecture and areas of outstanding natural beauty. The spectacular weather and sunshine we enjoy year-round are a big part of the reason California is so popular with visitors from all over the world.
Choosing the right clinic is one of the most important decisions you’ll make on your path to treatment, so take your time, research, and don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions: a great clinic will be happy to talk to you about their doctors and facilities, their success rates, their treatment philosophy and more. If you are thinking about coming to the USA for fertility treatment, you deserve access to the best experts, technology, treatment, and support available. If you would like to learn more about how SCRC works with international patients, please contact us! Our friendly and supportive fertility experts can answer your questions and give you all the information you need about your next steps.