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Infertility Statistics in British Columbia – It’s Time for Accessible Health Care #IVF4BC
Infertility statistics in British Columbia might surprise you. They might shock you. They should be repeated and shared and talked about. 1 in 6 Families in BC struggle with infertility. That means you know someone in your circle that has infertility, or has been through infertility. Maybe they shared their story with you. Maybe they struggled quietly. This upcoming May British Columbia marks two important events. The provincial election occurs May 9th, and the lead up weeks are a time to inquire where the parties stand on IVF funding. When the politicians running for office in your riding come to your door, ask them where they stand on public funding for…
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Building Healthy Families Should Be A British Columbia Health Care Priority #IVF4BC
Building healthy families should be a British Columbia Health Care Priority every day of the year. This Family Day, patient advocates in BC are calling on the government to fund IVF treatment. And with good reason. BC infertility patients are currently in the minority in Canada. With four provinces funding IVF in Canada, BC patients are being left out. 1 in 6 couples in BC struggle wth infertility. Often the most effective treatment prescribed for infertility is In Vitro Fertilization. However, the cost of fertility treatments and the lack of access in numerous regions in B.C. prevent many British Columbians from growing their family. Lack of Funding Creates Difficult Choices That…
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The Ontario Fertility Program – Jacquie’s Story #IVF4ON
This month marks the first anniversary of The Ontario Fertility Program. The highly anticipated program has increased access to fertility treatment for many in Ontario who previously couldn’t afford the cost of assisted reproductive therapy. The Ontario Fertility Program has helped about 5,000 patients. It has given hope to many infertility patients, closure to some, and it has made family a reality for thousands like Jacquie. More than 50 clinics in the province offer the Ontario Fertility Program for patients who qualify. You must have a valid Ontario health card and be under 43 to access the program. Patients who qualify are eligible for one IVF cycle per lifetime. The Ontario…
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IVF Funding Makes Sense for Nova Scotia Infertility Patients #IVF4NS #NSPOLI
IVF funding makes sense for Nova Scotia infertility patients, who are one of the worst served infertility patient groups in Canada. Nova Scotia infertility patients face multiple hurdles accessing care they need in order to build healthy families in the province. Infertility is a challenge for 1 in 6 couples in Nova Scotia, just as it is in every other province throughout Canada. But Nova Scotians are in fact one of the worst served populations of infertility patients in Canada due to several reasons. Not only is there no funding available for patients to pursue IVF in the province, access to clinics is also poor. That leads to extreme…
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If I Could Tell You Movie #FertilityFilm
If I Could Tell You Movie takes the topic of infertility and explores the question of how far people are willing to go to realize their goal of pregnancy. As people talk openly about the topic of fertility and infertility, the taboo that was once simply accepted as reality is slowly being eroded and that’s a wonderful thing to see. If I Could Tell You Movie by the Clyde Brothers has a part in helping to illuminate the topic of infertility. This fertility movie that features a strong theme of infertility will make you think about where the line is and how far people are willing to go to try to…
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The EEVA Test – Boost Your Chance of IVF Success #EEVACAN
Many times over the past four years I have written about infertility and the emotional and financial cost of treatment. While some infertility patients get pregnant with drug treatment alone, there are also times when in vitro fertilization (IVF) is the prescribed course of action. Where in vitro fertilization is medically prescribed, there is often a great financial cost involved. Couples have sometimes been through the ringer emotionally and had to save thousands of dollars for a chance at doing a round of in vitro fertilization. Even if they manage to save the amount necessary and wade through all of the emotions involved, IVF, while extremely efficient, is not a guarantee of success. That’s…
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Best Provinces For Fertility Treatment #CIAW #IVF4ON
Canadian Infertility Awareness Week is upon us again and infertility advocates have accomplished a great deal this year. Funding is in place and many Ontario infertility patients are now accessing their funded round of IVF treatment. That’s a huge success for Ontario patients and advocates and frankly it saves money and helps to create healthier families. Over 50 different clinics across the province now offer government funded fertility treatments.We are already seeing the first pregnancies as a result of the Ontario IVF (in vitro fertilization) funding program. Conceivable Dreams patient group thought it would be worthwhile this year to take a look at what other provinces are doing and not doing to support infertility…
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Ontario’s IVF Funding Program Makes a Merry Christmas for Infertility Patients #IVF4ON
Ontario’s IVF Funding Program It’s a hopeful and Merry Christmas for Ontario infertility patients. Ontario’s promise to create an IVF funding program became reality this week with the announcement that 50 clinics throughout Ontario will now be offering a funded IVF (in vitro fertilization) cycle. That’s a Happy Holiday announcement for the many infertility patients in Ontario who have been struggling to access affordable infertility treatment necessary to help them start a family. It’s been several long years since a group of Ontario infertility patients, called Conceivable Dreams, started advocating for reinstatement of IVF funding. With Ontario’s IVF funding program there are now four provinces that offer some contribution to the…
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What Is Happening Across Canada in 2015 for Infertility Patients? #IVF4ON #onpoli #IVFCanada
What’s happening for infertility patients in Canada? I wish you could see what I hear. Every. Day. I hear some of the saddest stories you can imagine. Couples remortgaging their houses, leaving the country for infertility care. I hear too some success stories and those are brilliant. But far too much sadness. People who had brutally devastating illnesses like cancer, DIGITS – a rare gastrointestinal illness, Polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis. The list of illnesses is long. Many people I hear from inside infertility groups I help manage, have survived childhood cancer, or they live with a rare gastrointestinal disorder, or they manage endometriosis. They are survivors and they can wear that…
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5 Lesser Known Customs Once Used as Fertility Treatments
Fertility treatment is common for the 1 in 6 people struggling with infertility. But what about infertility and fertility customs throughout cultures and history? I often write about infertility and assisted reproductive therapies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). I thought it might be interesting to research some fertility customs and traditions throughout history. Before modern science, humans used rituals as their fertility treatments, trying almost everything under the sun to get pregnant. Fertility Treatments – Some Oddball Approaches There have been some highly creative customs and rituals used by people over time to get pregnant. These fertility treatments were thought to increase the likelihood of pregnancy for any number of reasons.…