As part of the medical guarantees program, free infertility treatment with the help of assisted reproductive technologies has been introduced in Ukraine for the first time. Who can use this program and under what conditions, details on UNN.
According to statistics, the number of infertile couples in Ukraine is steadily increasing, and every 5th Ukrainian couple has difficulties with natural pregnancy. At the same time, the war has deepened the crisis and led to increased migration and a drop in the birth rate. Since the beginning of the war, the birth rate has decreased by 28%.
This year, for the first time, a free service for the treatment of infertility using assisted reproductive technologies (in vitro fertilization) became available under the medical guarantees program. UAH 1.87 billion is allocated for this service under the program of medical guarantees
It should be noted that the average cost of the minimum package of assisted reproductive services in private clinics is about 40 thousand hryvnias, and the cost of programs that include additional manipulations can reach more than one hundred thousand hryvnias.
Who can get the service for free
The NHSU website publishes information on which patients with which diagnoses can apply for the program:
- Female infertility associated with the lack of ovulation.
- Female infertility of tubal origin.
- Female infertility of uterine origin.
- Female infertility of cervical origin.
- Female infertility associated with male factors.
- Female infertility of other origin.
- Male infertility.
However, there is a certain age limit: women under the age of 40 will be able to participate in the program, but this is a temporary restriction, the NHSU explains.
The medical guarantee program is not static, it develops and modernizes every year to the conditions in which our country is located, therefore, it will be revised if there are appropriate needs and reasons for this
The basis for receiving services is a referral from an obstetrician-gynecologist at a health care facility, where a multidisciplinary consultation has been established, which refers women for treatment.
In order to participate in this program, you need to get a referral from your doctor and visit an institution that has a contract with the National Health Service of Ukraine. Everything is done on a first-come, first-served basis, as all citizens have equal access to a range of medical services. After a thorough examination and the conclusion of a medical consultation, you can begin treatment
What is included in the service package
The NHSU has specified the list of services that will be included in the package:
- Evaluation of the results of previous examinations and medical documents, examination and counseling of patients (adult women and men) to confirm indications or determine contraindications for the treatment of infertility using assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
- Conducting controlled drug stimulation of the ovaries in a woman undergoing treatment with ART, monitoring folliculogenesis (follicle growth) and endometrial development.
- Aspiration of ovarian follicle contents under ultrasound control and search for oocytes in the woman's follicular fluid.
- Anesthesia of the stage of transvaginal aspiration of ovarian follicles.
- Obtaining sperm from the husband of a woman who has indications for infertility treatment using ART, as well as special processing of sperm and preparation for fertilization.
- Implementation of the stage of fertilization of eggs with sperm (insemination of oocytes and/or injection of sperm into the cytoplasm of oocytes) by a man, as well as cultivation of the resulting embryos in the laboratory.
- Embryo transfer, including cryoembryo transfer of a cryopreserved embryo, into the uterine cavity (no more than two embryos per embryo transfer).
- Monitoring of the patient's condition after embryo transfer of the embryo/embryos into the uterine cavity before pregnancy.
- Consultation of an anesthesiologist and provision of anesthesia for the stage of transvaginal aspiration of ovarian follicles.
- Determination of the level of total human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the patient's blood.
- Conducting an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs.
- Selection of the stimulation scheme, medications, correction of their doses, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient, the results of clinical, ultrasound examination and monitoring.
- Provision of medicines for all stages of the ART cycle.
- Informing women and men about the possible ineffectiveness of ART attempts (failure to achieve pregnancy) and possible complications.
- Informing women about the possible need for cryopreservation (vitrification) of all available embryos and postponement of embryo transfer for medical reasons.
- Conducting preimplantation medical and genetic diagnostics of the embryo for medical reasons.
- Prescribing medicines to a woman for further use during pregnancy in accordance with industry standards in the field of health care.
- Provision of medical care in case of complications during the ART cycle, including hospitalization of a woman to the health care facility where the ART cycle was performed or referral of a woman to another health care facility if necessary.
- Providing medical care to a married couple using ART methods in a confidential manner.
As of now, 15 institutions (12 of them private) are involved in the program in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Odesa, Rivne, Dnipro, and Kyiv.
For a more detailed list of all institutions, please follow the link.
It is planned that national institutions of the Ministry of Health will also start providing these services.