Surrogacy. It’s something that can change the lives of men and women, giving those who are unable to have children an opportunity to become a parent. Whether there is an infertility issue, gay couples looking to become parents, or some other situation, surrogacy is a proven method of helping would-be parents realize their dream.
But when is it most successful and what are the success rates around the world? It’s well worth taking a closer look at if you’re thinking of surrogacy using IVF.
Some Things To Remember
It’s important that understanding the secrets behind surrogacy success around the country isn’t as easy as just looking at the raw numbers. One of the biggest issues is that surrogacy stats aren’t usually current – even stats from 2017 aren’t available since it takes time to gather results – the process is long, and success rates are measured in cycles ranging from live birth to Frozen Embryo Transfers.
And bear in mind that in IVF procedures where the intended mother is donating eggs, few clinics end up reporting on the success rates. This means that self-donation procedures often show up at around 25% despite being higher in most cases.
Another factor to remember is that when you consider surrogacy success, this can mean a variety of things including:
- Actual success of the embryo being accepted, grown to a full term baby, and delivered. In short, the medical definition of success.
- Legislation and the legalities of surrogacy in a specific country.
- Bringing the baby back to the home country. This can depend on citizenship, legal status of parents in a country, and more.
- Overall costs. US surrogacy can be incredibly expensive, with up to $50,000 in US dollars being the average cost of just one attempt to complete IVF and the total cost exceeding $100,000 easily
- Wait times matter as well. While it may be more successful to complete surrogacy in a specific country, it could take as long as a year just to begin the fertilization process. You’ll need to know how long you’re waiting – often, paying more for agencies and surrogacy providers means that you get faster surrogacy results.
In short, think about all the factors related to your surrogacy before you settle on one place being the right one for your surrogacy.
Surrogacy Around The World
So just which countries have the highest success rates for surrogacy? In the US, surrogacy success rates are roughly 75%. If the surrogate becomes pregnant, the success rate for having a healthy birth increases to as much as 95%. Medically speaking, those numbers are very similar around the world – especially in developed countries like the UK.
In the Ukraine, surrogacy is far more affordable than in the US or even the UK – the entire process can be less than $50,000, while in Mexico the total cost is $80,000 if a US egg donor is used.
The key is to research which countries are medically capable and legally allow surrogacy to occur, then choose the one that matches your specific needs the best. Also look into legal protection. Countries like Kenya have no legal protection at all, while countries like the US place the intended parents’ names on the birth certificate.
Which Location Is Right For You?
With medical success of surrogacy being comparable in most countries, the big questions for those looking to have surrogacy will often turn to questions of legalities, wait times, cost, and more.
So then, those hoping for surrogacy must weigh out each of these and determine which are the most important. For example, is it more important for you to move through the process quickly? Or would you prefer saving money and waiting longer? Where are you and your partner legal citizens, and what will the process of bringing your baby back to your home country be?
Next, begin looking at the actual clinics within the country. For example, some clinics only report stats where the embryos have undergone a PGD analysis, rising the success rates dramatically. That PGD analysis adds a lot of cost and several steps to the process – increasing success along with investment.
Think about what each IVF clinic and surrogacy organization offers, and look at their specific success rates. Finding the right country is only the first step. Once you’ve done this, the next step is to find a clinic. Talk to the professionals there and trust in your instincts as well – you should have a team on your side that you trust to help you.
Surrogacy is something that can finally turn those who have struggled with pregnancy into parents. But, it’s vital that you make sure you choose the right source. Keep all of the above information in mind and think about your needs and your goals, then you should be able to make a decision that you can be confident in.