Publication
Title
Cross-border reproductive care in Belgium
Author
Abstract
Cross-border reproductive care indicates the cross-border movements made by patients to obtain infertility treatment they cannot obtain at home. The problem at present is that empirical data on the extent of the phenomenon are lacking. This article presents the data on infertility patients going to Belgium for treatment. A survey was conducted among the centres for reproductive medicine that are allowed to handle oocytes and create embryos (B-centres). Data were collected on the nationality of patients and the type of treatment for which they attended during the period 2000-2007. Sixteen of 18 centres responded to the questionnaire. The flow of foreign patients has stabilized since 2006 at approximately 2100 patients per year. The majority of foreign nationals seeking treatment in Belgium were French women for sperm donation. The next highest group was patients entering the country to obtain ICSI with ejaculated sperm. There are clear indications that numerous movements are motivated by the wish to evade legal restrictions in one's home country, either because the technology is prohibited or because the patients have characteristics, which exclude them from treatment in their own countries.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Human reproduction. - Bonn
Publication
Bonn : 2009
ISSN
0268-1161
DOI
10.1093/HUMREP/DEP300
Volume/pages
24 :12 (2009) , p. 3108-3118
ISI
000272069500019
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 24.02.2012
Last edited 11.12.2021
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