Evidential support
In 2017, research conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the non-U.S. resident traveled to the U.S.A to avail the of assisted reproductive technology (ART).
The researchers of this study found that cross-border reproductive care (CBRC) was one of the primary reasons for foreign traveling to the USA.
In this study, investigators found that the submission of ART cycle conduction reporting to the National ART Surveillance System (NASS) was more than 1.2 million between the period of 2006 to 2013.
The authenticity of the collected data was genuine because in the USA every ART cycle information needs to submit under the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992.
Research findings
Researchers analyze the data and found that the conduction rate of the ART treatment on the non-residents increased more than double, i.e. from 1.2% to 2.8% during the period.
However, the team leader of this research had admitted that the number of conduction of the ART cycle was not huge, but the rate of increase of the ART in a foreign country was significant.
Researchers also predicted during their research that the number will increase in the future.
According to their finding, the usage rate of the advanced technology of ART by non-U.S patients was much more than that of U.S patients.
Researchers thought that reason for availing ART treatment to foreigners in the USA might nonavailability of advanced technology in their home countries.
This research study data revealed that the non-resident U.S.A patients had received 42.6% of egg donation services in comparison to 10.6% of the U. S. A patients.
Similarly, using gestational carriers or surrogacy services using rate was 12.4% among the non-resident U.S. Patients in comparison to 1.6% of the U. S. A patients.
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis or screening receiver was 19.1% among the non-resident U.S. Patients in comparison to 5.3% of the U. S. A patients.
However, embryo transfer and multiple birth rates were similar for both the non-resident U.S.A patients and American patients.
Researchers also found that the non-resident U.S. patients were coming from 147 different countries.
Among these foreign travelers, the number of Canadian patients was the highest.
In Canada, monetary compensation or payment for egg donation services was not allowed.
Researchers assumed this might be the main reason that 50% of Canadian patients traveled to the USA for receiving egg donation services.
Patients from Mexico took the second position, whereas the third and fourth most common source countries were the United Kingdom and Japan.
Mexican patients were using specialized ART techniques similar to the USA patients, whereas 50% of the UK patients and 90% of the Japanese patients used the egg donation service from the USA.
Scope of Improvement
The cross-border reproductive care service is vast. treatment for egg donors and carriers and the health concerns are also part of the International ART services.
This study highlighted the challenges of the patients who traveled to the USA for receiving reproductive care.
Better accessibility and provision of high-quality treatment to foreign travelers are the utmost requirements in ART, but in some cases, these criteria are compromised.
Therefore, the scope of improvement in the ongoing cross-border reproductive care is an essential part of International ART services.
Reference
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171019111012.htm
Ravi Sharma is a self-motivated, successful entrepreneur and has a solid experience in the fertility segment. and he is the director at ARTbaby Global (ARThealthcare). He is a pharmacy graduate with post-graduation in business administration and has 14 years of rich experience in the field of infertility segment. He loves to write about IVF, Surrogacy, and other ART (assisted reproductive technology) news, issues, and updates. He is a Pharmacy graduate (B. Pharm) and M.B.A (marketing).
His most recent success includes the successful launch of the medical tourism company, ARTbaby, which offers treatment options for infertility, egg donation, and surrogacy. He likes spending time with his family and writing about various aspects of IVF surrogacy and donating eggs.