Thursday 17 April 2014

100 Days of Pregancy: Day 73

Right now, I am happy, hopeful, and frustrated.

I just found out that in 2015, one IVF cycle will be paid for in Ontario under OHIP. That is amazing news. The only requirement is that it must be a single embryo transfer. The government is hoping that by offering one round of IVF and only allowing single embryo transfers, that it will pay for itself in reduced obstetric care, neonatal care, and other care related to multiple births and early births. I am really happy that IVF is being funded. Even if it is only one round, this gives couples who had given up in ever having a family hope. So many couples have to say no to IVF and adoption because they just can't afford it. And yes, an adoption through CAS is free (everything is paid for by the government), but not everyone is willing to put their heart at risk in the chance it may fall through...it's absolutely devastating. The only other way IVF is funded is if you have blocked tubes. In that situation (which was mine), the government will fund 3 rounds of IVF and there is no limit on the amount of embryos transferred.

What makes me frustrated is how some people are responding. Yes, for the government to dish out $50,000,000 in IVF costs each year is a lot of money. I get it. But do you not think they thought it through? Do you not think that if they didn't think this would help offset the costs of a multiple birth, they would have agreed to this? I feel the people who are arguing this don't know anything about being infertile. They don't know anything about the pain an infertile couple faces on a daily basis. Maybe, along with funding IVF, the government needs to start a program to properly educate people on infertility and how, in Ontario, it affects 1 in 6 couples.

By no fault of our own, we were labelled infertiles. Why should couples be punished just because they can't afford it? Creating a family is a beautiful thing and it shouldn't be taken away from deserving couples just because they are infertile.

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