As IVF becoming more popular In Canada, ‘Infertility Crisis’ Becomes Real

IVF or in-vitro fertilization treatment is increasing in popularity every day, especially in Canada where it is now mostly the only option that brings positive results.

In modern-day society, infertility has imposed a real threat where conceiving is becoming more and more challenging for couples. The crisis is becoming more real in Canada, where every one out of six Canadians is struggling with their fertility. One recent case is about Cassie and Brady Staigh, who have been trying to become parents for three years before they decided to finally seek professional help. They were referred to a special clinic where they were told that in-vitro fertilization treatment or IVF is their only option left. They have been put on a waitlist back in 2018, which got further delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic as the fertility clinics were shut down across the country. The Regina couple took multiple trips to Saskatoon, the fertility clinic for “testing, ultrasounds, and injections” so that the couple could get pregnant. All this hassle and struggle finally made the couple welcome their first child in June of 2021. Cassie said, “It’s definitely stressful just because there is like a lot of … unknown.”

That entire physical and emotional toll was not it, as the couple also struggled financially and they ended up spending upwards of $15,000 on the treatments. Explaining this further, “We got lucky with ours for the first time,” said Cassie. “If we had to do it again, I feel like again, it’s … a stressful financial burden.”

According to the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS), it is estimated that on average every one out of six Canadain faces issues with fertility. The coverage for IVF treatment varies across the country and there are some forms of financial assistance available for the patients. IVF or in-vitro fertilization treatment is where eggs from the body of a woman are removed and then fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. Then the fertilized eggs are implanted back into the womb. As there are limited healthcare options, there are still barriers for couples to get affordable and timely care. Across the country, there are around 35 fertility clinics that engage in performing 20,000 cycles of fertility treatment in a year. According to Dr. Sony Sierra, CFAS president, the demand is only increasing among Canadian couples who are seeking fertility care more and more each year.

About this situation, Carolynn Dubé, the executive director of Fertility Matters Canada, said “We are under-servicing a huge population of Canadians who actually need this care.” This problem is not limited to the country or unique to Canada but is affecting people globally. A new report that was released by World Health Organization this week states that “roughly one in six people worldwide are affected by infertility in their lifetime.” This can create “devastating consequences” for families. Explaining the report further, “The sheer proportion of people affected show the need to widen access to fertility care and ensure this issue is no longer sidelined in health research and policy, so that safe, effective, and affordable ways to attain parenthood are available for those who seek it,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general.