Fertility Treatment Data
Fertility treatment is unique in that there is a national database of outcomes. Fertility clinics in the US must report data on ART cycles each year according to a 1992 congressional mandate. Since 1995 this data has been collected via the National ART Surveillance System (NASS). Reports on this data are published annually and include the percentage of ART procedures and transfers that result in pregnancy, live birth and rates of multiples. As employers explore fertility and family building benefits, data such as this helps ensure employees have access to high-performing fertility clinics.
Other Family Building Options
Adoption
Many individuals choose to build their family through adoption. One-third of Americans have considered adoption as their pathway to parenthood, leading to about 135,000 children adopted in the United States each year.
Adoption can be a complicated, lengthy, and expensive process depending on the type of adoption (e.g., private, domestic, international). According to Child Welfare Information Gateway, independent or agency-based adoptions can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $45,000. These fees typically cover a birth mother’s medical expenses, legal representation for adoptive and birth parents, court fees, social workers and more. Individuals and couples who are pursuing adoption will also have to navigate various state laws that may factor in the age, marital status, and sexual orientation of the adopting parents.
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Surrogacy
Surrogacy is the process where a female carries a child for the intended parent(s). The child is typically not genetically related to the surrogate. The intended parent(s) undergo IVF to create embryos using their own egg and sperm or donor egg and/or donor sperm. The embryo is then transferred to the gestational carrier, or surrogate. Individuals or couples might consider surrogacy if they have struggled with infertility, have a medical issue that precludes them from carrying a child, or are a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
The surrogacy process can be expensive and lengthy. The costs can range from $100,000 – $150,000 which covers surrogacy agency fees, matching services, psychological screening, legal services, medical expenses for the intended parents as well as the surrogate (including fertility services for the creation of the embryo), surrogate compensation and surrogacy services.
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