Requirements to follow a fertility treatment by Social Security and differences with private clinics

The time to look for a pregnancy is increasingly delayed, especially for economic reasons, according to data from the latest survey of the National Statistics Institute (INE).

According to the Dexeus Clinic in Barcelona, this causes that the pregnancy is not so simple to reach, because our body is not so prepared. Hence, it is increasingly common to resort to the help of fertility treatments.

If you are being asked, you should know that Going to a private clinic looking for the desired pregnancy has its advantages, although the economic cost is high. Therefore, it is better to find out what Social Security covers and what does not, before making a decision. Take note.

Experts from the Spanish Fertility Society (SEF) have warned that 70 percent of 35-year-old women living in Spain do not have children, because motherhood is getting longer and longer. That explains why in vitro fertilization and fertility preservation rates are increasing.

According to the INE, in the 70s, the average age to have the first child in Spain was 26 years. But this figure has been increasing year after year, until reaching the current average of 32.1 years, which puts us at the tail of Europe along with Italy.

The European Statistical Office (Eurostat) also points to Spain as one of the countries with a later maternity age and places the average number of children at 1.32 per woman, lower than a few years ago.

Jan Tesarik, director of the Mar & Gen Clinic in Granada, explains that:

“The ovarian reserve of women is one of the main determinants when it comes to conceiving and the factor that most influences it is the age of the woman. Many women do not know that their ovarian reserve drops dramatically after age 35, delaying the search for the first child until beyond 37-38 years. "

According to a survey conducted by Woom, a technology company focused on women's health, 50% of Spanish women believe that the lack of economic stability is the main factor in delaying the time to have a baby. Hence, the costs of private clinics may not be an option.

For many women and men in Spain, the only alternative to be able to access assisted reproduction treatment is to do so through Social Security. However, the limited economic resources available to public health in Spain means that some mandatory requirements are imposed to access them.

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What Social Security covers: requirements to benefit

1. That the woman is not over 40 years old. From the moment the treatment is started, the age limit for women is 40, while for men it is 55.

2. That there are medical reasons that prevent conception. Before starting any treatment, the couple must undergo various fertility tests to verify that they are unable to have children naturally.

3. That the current couple does not have children in common. No public health treatments are offered to couples who already have children in common, except if that child or children suffer from a serious chronic illness or if only one of the partners has children.

In these cases, a specific assessment of the situation is usually carried out and the hospital will have the last word.

4. Possibility of resorting to the semen bank. In cases where the use of the couple's sperm is not recommended for medical reasons, seminal samples from private donor semen banks may be used.

Sometimes it is also allowed to freeze man's sperm if he has to undergo some treatment that can alter sperm production (usually for cancer reasons).

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5. Do not exceed the number of cycles. It usually varies depending on each Autonomous Community, but in general it is a maximum of three cycles in in vitro fertilization, four attempts for artificial insemination with conjugal semen, and six if it is a donor.

In some communities, if pregnancy is not achieved with the first cycle, the woman must return to the waiting list, while in other centers the cycles are followed. If you do not succeed in any, you are not allowed to access fertility treatments or assisted reproduction through Social Security again, nor are you allowed to undergo more if pregnancy is achieved once.

6. That the parents do not suffer any serious hereditary disease. Having HIV, Hepatitis C or any other serious illness with the possibility of being hereditary is also an obstacle when undergoing fertility treatment in public health. It depends on each Autonomous Community.

7. Special tests. In addition, there are certain tests that most Social Security clinics do not cover: such as ovodonation, in vitro fertilization treatment, or preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

Few centers also offer oocyte vitrification, which are reserved exclusively for those women who need to preserve their fertility for medical reasons, such as undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Finally, not all social security centers can perform embryonic vitrification.

Advantages and disadvantages of private clinics

No one can ignore its biggest drawback: the price of medication, diagnostic tests and the different techniques and cycles used. In any case, prices will depend on each clinic (between 4,000 and 6,000 euros, in vitro reproduction) and most have financing.

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Regarding their differences with Social Security:

  • Age. In Spain, there is no legal maximum age limit to resort to assisted reproduction in private health, although the consensus of experts and the Spanish Fertility Society advises against women over 50 years of age. We talk about 10 years more than Social Security.

  • Not having to wait for a waiting list. It should be borne in mind that in many communities the waiting lists are very long, ranging from six months to two years, which leads many women and men to exceed the age limit established by Social Security when they go to start treatment

  • Unlimited number of attempts, which leads to greater tranquility and relaxation of the couple or the woman. Although it seems obvious, the fact that many couples or women are imposed a maximum number of attempts, increases stress and pressure to get pregnant before the possible act of exhausting such attempts, which often leads to Prevent pregnancy success.

  • Greater medical control, Since in many of these clinics there is a 24-hour emergency option, that the same doctor takes the whole process from beginning to end and assistance from Monday to Sunday.

  • Psychological help option for those couples and / or women who request it. Undergoing such treatment leads to high physical and emotional wear and tear that in many cases requires this type of assistance.

In the National Commission of Assisted Human Reproduction of the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality of Spain, you have a list of all centers, private and public, assisted reproduction of the country and organized by autonomous community.

And all this in a country that, according to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) is at the forefront of assisted reproduction in Europe: in one year 110,000 fertility treatments have been carried out.

Video: Is egg freezing right for you? (March 2024).