IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) in Ukraine

 

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a method that allows infertile couples to become parents with the help of artificial insemination. IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) in Ukraine is a popular medical service among both Ukrainian citizens and foreigners. Professional experts and modern reproductive technologies attract patients to this country. In addition to the high technological reproductive facilities available in Ukraine, foreigners have a financial interest in receiving services of IVF in Ukraine, because the costs are much lower than in other Western countries while the level of treatment is excellent.

Ukraine has more than 30 assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics that caused more than 12 thousand babies to be born so far. Ukraine regularly conducts congresses on reproduction technologies that attract many experts to this beautiful country, especially from the UK, Germany, and other eastern countries.

 

What is IVF?

 

IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) is a type of (ART) in a woman’s eggs and a man’s sperm are combined in a laboratory. Artificial insemination occurs outside the uterus environment to create embryos or embryos. A fertilized egg is transferred back into the uterus of the future mother through her cervix.

The first baby using IVF technology was born in 1978 in England. In the beginning, this technology was only recommended to women with blocked fallopian tubes. Currently, IVF technology is used for heterosexual and homosexual couples and even single women who want to experience parenthood.

What is IVM?

IVM or In Vitro Maturation happens when a woman’s ovum is collected from the ovaries before they are mature and ready for insemination. Before a girl is born, her eggs are formed and stored in her ovaries. After puberty, hormonal changes cause an egg to be mature and released from the ovaries every month. Before undergoing IVF, the woman often takes medicines to stimulate egg maturation and cause more eggs to be ready for retrieval.

In some cases, some or all the oocytes are not ripened and are ready to be fertilized by sperm. Nowadays, technological advancements allow the embryologist to mature these eggs in vitro at a laboratory and this process is called IVM or In Vitro Maturation. The matured and fertilized eggs are transferred into the woman’s uterus. The extra eggs can be frozen and saved for future use.

 

Does IVF guarantee a 100% result?

 

Even though IVF is the most effective method for infertility treatment, it does not guarantee 100% successful results. IVF statistics show that at the first attempt, pregnancy has a 30-50% chance of success. A successful pregnancy usually happens after 2-4 IVF attempts. The success of the IVF procedure is affected by many factors. Some of the important factors include:

• Age of the woman. The success rate of IVF at the age of 20 to 25 is about 50%, while for the age of forty it decreases to 15-20%.
• How the woman’s body reacts to the hormonal stimulation
• Quality of the eggs, sperm, and produced embryos
• Psychological condition of the patients

If the IVF attempt fails, the couple may want to repeat the IVF cycle and try again or undergo intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technology.

How Many IVF Attempts Should Be Done?

 

No general rule should be described for the needed number of IVF attempts. The success of IVF depends on many personal factors. The IVF procedure is not dangerous and it can be carried out several times. In long-awaited pregnancies, it is sometimes common to undergo 8 to 10 IVF attempts before pregnancy happens.

Many clinics offer lower costs for next attempts of IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) in Ukraine, in order to attract clients to their clinics. The number of attempts will be determined by the fertility doctor based on the patient’s medical condition. In repeated IVF attempts, usually the embryos that are obtained from the previous cycles will be used. However, having your baby in your arms is worth all the time and money.

 

Legal Aspects of IVF in Ukraine

 

Unlike many European countries, Ukraine legislation is very friendly towards using assisted reproductive technologies (ART). For instance, egg donation is illegal in Germany and Italy. In Poland, Portugal, and Spain, the egg donation process is free only when it is done without getting compensation.

In Ukraine, IVF and egg donation are legal and accessible to both Ukrainians and foreigners. This country is the best destination for medical tourists who cannot use ART in their home country because of restrictions and they need to follow their treatment in another place.

According to a decree on “approval of the procedure for applying ART” by the Ukraine ministry of health:

• ART programs are permitted in medical institutions that have the accreditation of doing such procedures.
• Patients have the right of choosing their clinic.
• Medical care through ART is provided in complete confidentiality.
• Oocyte donors can be both anonymous or relatives.
• There is no regulation regarding age limitation for male and female patients and it completely depends on the clinic.
• In addition to heterosexual couples, single women can receive IVF treatment. Homosexual couples cannot receive ART treatment in Ukraine.
• Sex selection is permitted especially for preventing passing on a serious genetic disease to the embryo.
• To receive IVF treatments, there is no legal restriction for HIV-positive, HCV-positive, and HBP-positive patients.
• The maximum number of embryos to transfer to the recipient’s uterus is often two. For certain medical reasons, this number can be increased to three embryos, if the patient signs the consent letter.

IVF Cost in Ukraine

Ukraine has one of the most affordable in vitro fertilisation costs in the whole Europe that attracts many couples for treatment to this country. The total cost of IVF treatment depends on the cost of additive medical and non-medical services. The costs of the most common related treatments using IVF are listed below.

 

Service	Cost
IVF (with own eggs)	$3000 to $4000
IVF + Egg donation	$5300 to $6300
Embryo donation	$1800 to $2500
Egg freezing	$2400 to $3000
Sperm freezing	$230 to $400
Donor sperm	$230 to $400
Embryo monitoring	$460 to $580
Blastocyst culture	$230 to $500
PGD/PGS	$1600 to $1900
Embryo storage for 1 year	$460 to $650
Frozen embryo transfer	$1150 to $1890

 

The reasonable costs and best quality services of infertility treatment in Ukraine cause many couples to travel to this country annually from all over the world, especially from American and European countries.

IVF Success Rates in Ukraine

 

When couples want to make a decision about a proper destination for following medical treatment, they seek countries and clinics that bear the highest success rates. According to a 2017 report, the success rate of IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) in Ukraine using own eggs are:

• 25.4% for women who are under 34
• 22.7% for women who are between 35 and 39
• 14.1% for women who are 40 and older

According to this report, the IVF success rate using donor eggs in Ukraine are:

• 61.6% for fresh embryo transfer
• 62.2% for thawed embryo transfer

Ukraine has a very high success rate in comparison to other European countries. The legal issues of IVF treatment is well-established and various types of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are practiced there. In addition to the mentioned advantages, the affordable costs of services along with the modern technology of the day, and well-trained physicians have made this country a popular place for medical tourists seeking treatment overseas.

It is important to know that Ukraine is not in the European Union and EU legal arrangements and IVF regulations do not apply in this country. FlytoTreat makes your medical travel easy by arranging appointments with the most experienced doctors in the field of fertility and accompanying you throughout your trip to Ukraine.