Fertility and Sterility
Volume 92, Issue 2 , Pages 413-416 , August 2009

Assisted reproductive technologies in developing countries: are we caring yet?

  • Effy Vayena, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Biomedical Ethics, UFSPE Fellowship Program, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Effy Vayena, Ph.D., Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Zurich Zollikerstrasse 115, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland.
  • ,
  • Herbert B. Peterson, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Departments of Maternal and Child Health and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • ,
  • David Adamson, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Fertility Physicians of Northern California, Palo Alto and San Jose, California
  • ,
  • Karl-G. Nygren, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • In Vitro Fertilization Clinic, Sophiahemmet Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

Received 16 September 2008 ,Revised 3 February 2009 ,Accepted 4 February 2009.

References 

  1. Nachtigall RD. International disparities in access to infertility services. Fertil Steril. 2006;85:871–875
  2. Reproductive health outlook: Infertility. 2004. Available at: http://www.rho.org/html/files/RHO_infert_12-19-04.pdf#search=“infertility”. Accessed July 12, 2008.
  3. In:  Vayena E,  Rowe P,  Griffin PD editor. Current practices and controversies in assisted reproduction: Report of a World Health Organization meeting. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2002;
  4. Vayena E, Rowe P, Peterson H. Assisted reproductive technology in developing countries: why should we care?. Fertil Steril. 2002;78:13–15
  5. Adamson GD, de Mouzon J, Lancaster P, Nygren KG, Sullivan E, Zegers-Hochschild F International committee for monitoring assisted reproductive technology. World collaborative report on in vitro fertilization, 2000. Fertil Steril. 2006;85:1586–1622
  6. Sutcliffe A, Ludwig M. Outcome of assisted reproduction. Lancet. 2007;370:351–359
  7. Heng BC. The advent of international “mail-order” egg donation. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 2006;113:1225–1227
  8. International Consumer Support for Infertility. Available at http://www.icsi.ws/about_icsi/members. Last accessed 3 March, 2009.
  9. Okonofua FE. The case against new reproductive technologies in developing countries. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1996;103:957–962
  10. Macklin RB. Reproductive technologies in developing countries. Bioethics. 1995;9:276–282
  11. Inhorn M. Global infertility and the globalization of new reproductive technologies: illustrations from Egypt. Soc Sci Med. 2002;56:1837–1851
  12. Van Balen F, Gerrits T. Quality of infertility care in poor-resource areas and the introduction of new reproductive technologies. Hum Reprod. 2001;16:215–219
  13. Heitman E. Infertility as a public health problem: why assisted reproductive technologies are not the answer. Stanford Law Pol Rev. 1995;6:89–102
  14. Toubia NF. Social pressure is not the only reason people want children. Reprod Health Matters. 1994;4:94–95
  15. European Society for Human Reproduction (ESHRE). Task force for infertility in developing countries. Available at: http://www.eshre.com/emc.asp?pageId=1040. Accessed August 20, 2008.
  16. The Low Cost Foundation. Available at: http://www.lowcost-ivf.org. Last accessed 3 March, 2008.
  17. Fertility Treatment in Developing Countries; A Cycle Of IVF For Less Than $200. Science Daily. 2008;Available at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707100155.htmAccessed July 24, 2008
  18. Pilcher H. Fertility on a shoestring. Nature. 2006;442:975–977
  19. Huyser C. Affordable ART services in Africa: synthesis and adaptation of laboratory services. ESHRE Monogr. 2008;77–84
  20. Hovatta O, Cooke I. Cost-effective approaches to in vitro fertilization: means to improve access. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2006;94:287–291
  21. Nargund G, Frydman R. Towards a more physiological approach to IVF. Reprod Biomed Online. 2007;14:550–552
  22. Oknofua FE. New reproductive technologies and infertility treatment in Africa. Afr J Reprod Health. 2003;7:7–11
  23. Ombelet W, Campo R. Affordable IVF for developing countries. Reprod Biomed Online. 2007;15:257–265
  24. World Health Organization. Reproductive health strategy to accelerate progress towards the attainment of international development goals and targets. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2004;
  25. Nygren KG, Zegers-Hochschild F. Documentation of infertility prevalence, treatment access and treatment outcomes in developing countries. ESHRE Monogr. 2008;5–7
  26. Collins J. An international survey of the health economics of IVF and ICSI. Hum Reprod Update. 2002;8:265–277
  27. Habbema JD. Is affordable and cost-effective assisted reproductive technology in low-income countries possible? What should we know to answer the question?. ESHRE Monogr. 2008;21–24

 E.V. has nothing to disclose. H.B.P. has nothing to disclose. D.A. is the Chief Executive Officer of and has an equity interest in Advanced Reproductive Care. K-G. N. has nothing to disclose.

PII: S0015-0282(09)00362-8

doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.02.011

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 92, Issue 2 , Pages 413-416 , August 2009