Couples undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) have become more common nowadays than a few decades ago. The rise in IVF treatment is due to an increase in awareness and acceptance, primarily when the fertility problem lies on the male partner.
Besides the medical causes of infertility in men and women, contributing factors for infertility include smoking, E-cigarettes, compulsive alcohol consumption, change in lifestyles, stress, environmental pollution with industrial wastage, plastic, chemicals, processed food, pesticides & herbicide etc.
The fertility treatment cost in malaysia varies from fertility centre to centre, depending on the type of IVF treatment (mild or full ovarian stimulation), medication usage (type of medications, dosage and whether the medicine used is original brand or generic brand), the use of sophisticated technologies to obtain optimal results and so on. Fertility Centre branding too indirectly affects the cost of treatment.
The IVF / fertility treatment cost in malaysia in Malaysia ranges from RM 7,500 – RM 30,000. It is not easy to estimate the exact cost due to individualized treatment. In addition, some packages do not allow direct head-to-head comparison, due to business strategies and occasionally the pricing may not be transparent. If you are price sensitive, it is advisable to have a thorough consultation with them to inquire about the finer details of pricing and payment.
Find out what is included and what is not in the IVF treatment cost packages. Some packages may appear cheap and attractive; however, you may need additional add-on services during the treatment process which are not highlighted earlier on. Hence, the cumulative cost may be more expensive than the packages with an initial higher price tag.
The cost for one IVF cycle may include:
- Ovarian Stimulation: Medications and follow up reviews.
- Anaesthetic fees: Anaesthetist consultation and procedure fees.
- Ovum Pick Up Procedure: Theatre and procedure fees, including medications, surgical and disposable items e.g drapes, disposable clinical items, Ovum Pick Up needle, tubing, pelvic ultrasound scan, etc.
- Laboratory fees: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure fees, Blastocyst’s culture, Time Lapse Embryo Monitoring System, freezing & storage fees, extra straws for excess embryos storage and so on.
- Day-care: Nursing care after the procedure and light refreshment, including painkiller and antibiotics and luteal support upon discharge.
- Fresh Embryo Transfer Procedure: Depending on the packages. Some packages offer a small refund if Fresh Embryo Transfer is called off or discounted pricing for Frozen Embryo Transfer.
- Follow up care: Consultation and Blood test (Serum Beta HCG) to determine pregnancy outcomes.
Optional treatments such as PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing) technology, ERA (Endometrial Receptivity Analysis), Laser Assisted Hatching and so on are usually not included in the IVF package.
It is an excellent idea to enquire about pricing for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Inject (ICSI), Blastocysts Culture and additional straws usage for embryo storage, Embryo Freezing, Thawing fees and future Embryo Transfer etc, if these are not included in the package.
The cost of IVF treatment is now lower than a few years ago, thanks to the mushrooming of fertility centres and competitive pricing. The deal is much better recently due to Covid-19 pandemic whereby many fertility centres are slashing the pricing due to slow pick up on IVF treatment.
It would be best if you only spent what you needed during fertility treatment. Although all these technologies are brought together under one roof to maximize your chance of getting pregnant, it does not guarantee success for treatment. We need to individualize each patient for IVF treatment and choose the most appropriate technologies and treatment plan for them. Allowing the patient to get the best value of return with the money that they have spent should be the main priority.
It is worth a hunt if you are price sensitive. However, a point to ponder upon is you might end up needing repeated IVF cycles with a cheaper IVF package, especially if the centre treatment outcome is not ideal. The accumulated cost is probably higher at the end of your IVF treatment. The key point is, choose a reputable centre offering affordable IVF treatment.
Nevertheless, Ever Link Fertility Centre wishes you all the best in endeavouring the journey towards parenthood.
