Gov't expands support for couples with fertility problems

A doctor examines a pregnant woman using an ultrasound scan. /Korea Times file

By Bahk Eun-ji

A 38-year-old office worker Cho Yu-ri, who has been married for nine years, has spent more than 35 million won ($30,720) since 2016 when she first decided to try artificial insemination to overcome her fertility problems. She had the fifth trial last month but all have failed. Cho said she plans to quit the job she's had for 11 years, in order to focus on the treatments.

Lee Woo-jung, a 36-year-old accountant who has been married for six years, said she can never get used to the feeling of injecting herself with hormones in a restroom in her office building before undergoing her in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure.

“My doctor said I have to get the shots at the appointed time every day. So I visited several clinics around my office to ask if they could give me the injections, but all of them refused,” Lee said.

Lee said the doctors she had visited said they felt pressure about possible side effects caused by the injections because the body of a woman who is treated for fertility problems is usually highly sensitive after undergoing several procedures.

“What can I do as a full-time worker? I can't get a day-off to see my doctor whenever I need to get an injection, so I decided to do it myself, but it is hard to get used to it,” Lee said.

Many couples suffer fertility problems, especially with the trend of getting married later.

More than 300,000 women visit fertility clinics for treatments every year, according to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, with about 382,000 patients in 2016 and 365,000 in 2017. Among them, 31.5 percent were aged 45 to 49.

Two common treatments

There are two common procedures to treat fertility problems _ artificial insemination and IVF.

Artificial insemination is a technique placing previously selected semen into a woman's uterus that has been prepared by stimulating ovulation. The fertilization happens inside the fallopian tube of the woman.

IVF procedures consist of retrieving a woman's eggs to be fertilized in a laboratory and later placing the obtained embryos inside the uterus. The fertilization happens outside the woman's body in the laboratory.

IVF is a more complex technique because it requires a surgical procedure to obtain the eggs and be fertilized in the lab.

Women receiving IVF treatments have to get injections that trigger ovulation for about six to eight months. It is relatively easy for those living or working near their clinics to get injections, but most of women have a hard time getting treatment due to a shortage of facilities ― of the total 71 clinics in Seoul, 29 infertility clinics are located in five districts including Gangnam and Songpa.

Government support for fertility treatment

Fertility treatments including IVF and artificial insemination have been covered by the National Health Insurance since October 2017, but women aged over 45 years old have been excluded.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said earlier this month that the government would expand financial support for struggling couples, as part of efforts to lessen their burden.

Under the newly revised rule that takes effect in July, the age limit will be lifted, so that women over 45 years old will be able to receive treatment covered by state insurance.

So far state insurance has covered only three trials of artificial insemination as well as four trials of IVF when using fresh embryos and three when using frozen embryos. Now two more trials will be covered for artificial insemination, three more for IVF using fresh embryos and two more for IVF using frozen embryos.

It will also cover expenses for medications that prevent miscarriage, medications that increase the chances of implantation, and treatment for freezing and storing embryos, the ministry said.

Couples who suffer from depression or psychiatric problems due to fertility problems will be able to get counselling services at four counseling centers around the country including the National Medical Center.

Seoul City's action

In response to the call for practical support for women struggling with fertility problems, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon met couples who are receiving treatments and citizens interested in the issue last month. During the meeting with about 100 participants, Park pledged to set up a public fertility center at the Seoul Medical Center.

“Fertility treatments usually cost a lot of money. The fertility clinic which will be established in Seoul Medical Center will play a key role in reducing burden of couples who have been in difficulty having baby,” Park said during the meeting.

The mayor also said the city government has been considering allowing women get hormone injections at public healthcare centers in their neighborhoods.

“To support individuals who want to have children, the local government and the central government will cooperate closely to offer full services throughout one's pregnancy,” Park said.