Procedure guide · Reproductive medicine
IVF (in vitro fertilisation) is a fertility treatment in which eggs are fertilised with sperm in a laboratory and an embryo is placed in the womb. The NHS describes six main stages. In India IVF clinics are regulated under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act. Surrogacy is not available to foreign nationals.
What is IVF?
The NHS explains that IVF may be recommended when other treatments have not worked. It sets out these stages:
- suppressing the natural cycle with medicine
- boosting egg supply with daily hormone medicine
- checking progress with scans and tests
- collecting eggs with a fine needle under sedation
- fertilising the eggs with sperm in the laboratory
- transferring an embryo into the womb through a thin tube
Suitable leftover embryos may be frozen for later use. The NHS also says written consent is legally required. It covers how sperm, eggs and embryos are used and stored.
Who may it suit?
Your fertility specialist decides. The NHS notes that the chance of success depends on factors such as the cause of infertility, age, weight and lifestyle. Private clinics usually set their own age or weight limits. The NHS lists risks that the clinic should discuss. They are ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, multiple pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy.
How India regulates IVF
Parliament passed the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill 2021, according to PIB. The law provides for the registration and supervision of ART clinics and banks and a national registry. The National ART and Surrogacy Registry portal lists registered clinics. Check your clinic’s registration before you book. Surrogacy is not available to foreign nationals in India.
Which reports does a fertility specialist usually ask for?
The NHS says blood tests for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are required before IVF. A specialist will also usually ask for both partners’ fertility test results. These include hormone tests, an ultrasound report and a semen analysis. Send any previous IVF records too: medicines used, number of eggs collected and embryo reports. Ask the clinic for its own list before you travel.
How do you plan an IVF trip?
Some early steps can sometimes start at home under a local doctor’s care, if the Indian clinic agrees. Then come stimulation monitoring and egg collection in India. Embryo transfer follows, then a pregnancy test at home. The partner providing sperm needs to be present for collection unless a frozen sample is arranged. The clinic sets the timetable. An attendant helps with appointments and injections. Ask how the clinic will stay in touch with you and your home doctor after you return.
What should you ask the clinic?
- Is the clinic registered on the National ART and Surrogacy Registry?
- Which tests must both partners complete before arrival?
- Which steps can be done at home and which must be in India?
- How many embryos do you usually transfer, and why?
- What are your rules for freezing and storing embryos for a foreign patient?
- Who contacts us if a problem such as hyperstimulation occurs after we fly home?
Questions people ask
Can foreign nationals use surrogacy in India alongside IVF?
No. Surrogacy is not available to foreign nationals in India. IVF using your own eggs and sperm at a registered ART clinic is a separate matter. Ask the clinic to explain which services the law allows for your situation.
How do I check that an IVF clinic in India is registered?
The National ART and Surrogacy Registry portal publishes the number of registered ART clinics and lists them. Ask the clinic for its registration certificate and match the details on the portal. IndiaMedica’s checklist explains the steps.
Do both partners need to travel for IVF?
Usually the partner providing sperm attends around egg collection unless a frozen sample is used. Both partners usually sign consent forms. The clinic will confirm who must be present and when.
Sources
- NHS: IVF
- National ART and Surrogacy Registry
- Press Information Bureau: Winter Session 2021 – bills passed
- Press Information Bureau: Cabinet approves the ART Regulation Bill 2020
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. Your treating specialist decides on suitability, treatment and length of stay. How we write and check.