Your doctor can either refer you to your local hospital for tests, or to a specialist fertility clinic. Although a local hospital may be more convenient, and have a shorter waiting time to see a gynaecologist, it is usually worth going straight to a fertility specialist. They will deal with you and your partner as a couple, and will be able to carry out more thorough tests and offer a wider range of treatments. Sometimes your doctor will suggest which clinic you should go to, or will make the referral without any consultation, but if it is left up to you to choose a clinic, this can be a difficult decision to make.
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| Infertility Treatment Centers |
'You put so much trust in the medical profession, but when it comes to fertility it's not that I don't trust people, but it is a business and it's a bit different to going in and having an operation on your appendix. It's a big money-making industry, and you have to go into it with your eyes open. it's very hard to do that when you are emotionally fraught, but I say to people, do your research.' Rachel, 35
Not all fertility clinics offer every type of treatment, some see many hundreds of patients every year and employ dozens of doctors, whereas others are much smaller; some may specialize in particular areas of infertility and there can be huge variations in success rates. So how do you decide where to go? If you have a choice, it is worth doing some research, and there are some key factors that may influence your decision.
Location
The location of the clinic is probably the most important thing to consider. There is little point in discovering what appears to be a perfect clinic if it is based at the other end of the country. It may be that there is only one clinic situated anywhere near your home, which leaves you with little choice. In other areas, there may be an abundance of fertility clinics and making a decision can be difficult.
You need to remember that you could end up having to make fairly regular visits to the clinic if you have treatment, and a journey that seems fine for an occasional appointment can rapidly become unmanageable when you are having to make frequent trips to and fro. Sometimes it is possible to have certain tests or treatments carried out at a local hospital under the auspices of a specialist clinic further away, but not all centres offer this kind of facility.
'We ended up going to a clinic which is a 150-mile round trip. If I had my choice again, I'd have chosen something closer to home. I wasn't sure what was involved, and hadn't realized I'd be there every second day for scans. Whenever I had to go for a scan, I had to get the day off work.' Elissa, 32
Location is obviously important, but you should also feel confident that a local clinic can offer what you need. If you go to your local treatment centre purely because it is convenient and don't consider any other factors, you may end up questioning your choice when you are further down the line.
Treatment
The treatment a clinic can offer is equally important. Not all clinics offer every type of fertility treatment. Some specialize, or may have a reputation for being particularly good at treating certain problems. You should check what a clinic offers, and how many patients they treat. You may find that some clinics have restrictions and set an age limit for treatment, or may not treat those who have specific complications. Make sure you are aware if this is going to be the case.
Sometimes it is a bit of luck to find the right person because there is no list of who is the best specialist for each individual thing. At the end of the day, it's like any problem. Even if you've got a plumbing problem or whatever, it is getting the right person to do the job. You can get a lot of cowboys who will try, but you need to get the right person who will give you the right information and be honest with you.' Ann, 44. To find out more, you can check out Infertility Treatment Centers.
