Is IVF more expensive than natural pregnancy?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) refers to the transfer of pregnant eggs into the mother's body for pregnancy through artificial assisted reproduction technology. Compared with natural pregnancy, IVF requires medical equipment and professional technology, so whether the cost is more expensive than natural pregnancy is the focus of attention. Next, we will compare the cost of IVF and the cost of natural pregnancy from several aspects to explore their relative height.
medical expense
IVF requires a series of medical examinations and operations, including in vitro fertilization, embryo culture, embryo transfer and other processes. These medical operations need expensive medical equipment and professional technology, so the medical cost is more expensive than natural pregnancy. Taking a well-known hospital in China as an example, the medical cost of IVF usually ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan, while the cost of natural pregnancy mainly includes prenatal examination, delivery, etc., which is relatively low. Therefore, in terms of medical costs, IVF is more expensive than natural pregnancy.
In addition, the cost of IVF may vary from hospital to hospital. Some well-known domestic hospitals have introduced foreign IVF technology and experts, and the cost is relatively high. Some general hospitals may have lower costs, but their services and technologies are relatively limited. Therefore, the choice of hospital will also have an impact on the cost of IVF.
Drug expenses
The success rate of IVF requires the help of auxiliary drugs, such as hormone drugs, vitamins, etc. These drugs are expensive, combined with individual differences and different treatment cycles, making the drug costs of IVF relatively high. While natural pregnancy does not require additional drugs, only daily pregnancy care is needed, so the drug cost of IVF is relatively expensive.
In addition, the cost of drugs varies from hospital to hospital. Some well-known domestic hospitals may introduce imported drugs with higher prices, while ordinary hospitals may use domestic drugs with lower costs. Therefore, drug costs should also be considered when selecting IVF hospitals.
Psychological support expenses
Test tube babies have great psychological pressure on both spouses and need professional psychologists to provide psychological support. The cost of psychological support is an easily neglected part of the cost of IVF. Natural pregnancy does not require additional psychological support, so the cost of psychological support can be ignored. For couples with psychological pressure, the cost of IVF is relatively higher than that of natural pregnancy.
Success rate and value of harvest
The last comparison dimension is the success rate and harvest value of IVF. The continuous progress of IVF technology has made its success rate continuously improve, but there is still a certain risk of failure. In contrast, the success rate of natural pregnancy is higher than that of IVF, and medical technology is not required. However, for some infertile couples, IVF is the only way to achieve their fertility aspirations. Therefore, despite the high cost of IVF, its value is immeasurable for those couples who are eager to have their own children. In their view, no matter how high the cost, as long as the birth can be successful, it is worth it.
To sum up, in terms of medical costs, drug costs and psychological support costs, IVF does have higher costs than natural pregnancy. However, as a result of modern medical progress, IVF technology provides an opportunity for infertile couples to realize their reproductive aspirations, so its value cannot be measured only from the perspective of cost.
