The London tabloid The Express has “revealed” that “thousands” of British women are traveling to Eastern Europe for cheap IVF. Government-funded fertility treatment is restricted in the UK and some women miss out and others hope to become pregnant with more cycles of IVF. Consequently desperate women are seeking out clinics in the Czech Republic, Romania, the Ukraine and Russia where they can get IVF at a quarter of the cost of private treatment in the UK. Sperm and egg donors in Eastern European countries are also anonymous., unlike the UK.

Susan Seenan, of the national fertility charity Infertility Network UK, said: “It’s very sad that people are forced to go abroad because they can’t access treatment in the UK but that happens a lot… We never tell people not to go abroad but we recommend they do their homework.  People should go abroad because it is the right option for them, not because it is the cheapest option. Infertility treatment is stressful enough anyway.” ~ Express, Apr 5