If the government funds it the price for IVF will stay high for a long time. Face it our country is headed for economic chaos and if we think we can pay $30,000 to get more in taxes from an IVF Canadian 20 years after he/she is born we are worse off than I thought. In Quebec this IVF child will likely need free daycare and free medical care, free medications and then heavily subsidized college. It will also require thousands in equalization payments.
Ontario is 400 billion in debt and and Quebec's debt is now greater than its GDP.
If we want IVF paid for then you have to give up something else like French language subsidy or heavy government funding for College in Quebec or the idiotic solar electric program in Ontario etc.
Right now Quebec is living off provinces like Alberta. so when you say they have an IVF program it is actally Albert's IVF program in Quebec.
So I am not against IVF being government funded but tell us what your province needs to give up because our two largest provinces are broke.
Celene - 12 years ago
As a woman who is currently looking down the long itemized list of costs associated with IVF, I would love to say 'Let's just adopt!'. Sadly, our chances of being chosen out of all other waiting couples to adopt a child are no better then my chances for successful implantation. Sadder still, adoption can be just as cost prohibitive as IVF (even locally), and many times it can actually be more expensive. If you are on the adoption waiting list, you have to pay for a qualification assessment every few months (~6) that you aren't chosen.
So basically my choices are the same either way, at similar cost. Instead of keeping our savings FOR a child we always assumed we'd be able to have when we were ready, we can pay to adopt a child or go through IVF treatments. That's it.
I would be relieved if the government funded even a few rounds of IVF, and we could keep the saving for our child's university education. But for now, we continue to weigh our two options, but I'm glad we at least have those options.
LJ - 12 years ago
Well, if we didn't have a culture that valued biological reproduction so much, there would be no insult. When I refer to making "adoption a more accessible option," I'm talking about the exact barriers you point out. For the record, if I broke my back, I'd hope society wouldn't make me feel like a worse person for it (the way we do to people without biological offspring) and I certainly wouldn't feel entitled to unlimited resources being poured into getting me to exactly where I was. Our attitudes need to change quite a bit to recognise that someone somewhere suffers greatly for the extravagant use of resources.
MAC - 12 years ago
For couples dealing with infertility there is nothing more insulting than telling them to adopt or to work/volunteer with children. In BC there are approximately 50 adoptions per year, some couples wait for 3-5 years to be chosen as the adoptive parents, others are never chosen. A "local adoption" in BC costs approximately $23000, an international adoption ranges from $30 - $50000 depending on the country. Becoming involved in other children's lives as a teacher, coach, or caretaker is not even remotely comparable to raising a child from birth.
To tell a women or man that their medical condition is not covered by either provincial medical care or extended medical health benefits because it does not affect their quality of life is ignorant and insulting when discussing infertility. If you broke your back and were confined to a wheel chair would you not want and demand the best medical care our country has to offer; from medical testing, medications, surgeries, and rehab therapies? Why is it different for those dealing with reproductive health?
LJ - 12 years ago
With so many humans on this planet already, it makes no sense to pour our resources into allowing a few others to add to our numbers -especially public resources. Governments should focus on toppling economic and social restrictions to birth control and education worldwide. For those in wealthy nations where IVF might be available, the government might instead step in to make adoption a more accessible option for those who are so determined to be parents.
Another alternative might be to help these people get qualified as teachers, coaches, and caretakers.
If the government funds it the price for IVF will stay high for a long time. Face it our country is headed for economic chaos and if we think we can pay $30,000 to get more in taxes from an IVF Canadian 20 years after he/she is born we are worse off than I thought. In Quebec this IVF child will likely need free daycare and free medical care, free medications and then heavily subsidized college. It will also require thousands in equalization payments.
Ontario is 400 billion in debt and and Quebec's debt is now greater than its GDP.
If we want IVF paid for then you have to give up something else like French language subsidy or heavy government funding for College in Quebec or the idiotic solar electric program in Ontario etc.
Right now Quebec is living off provinces like Alberta. so when you say they have an IVF program it is actally Albert's IVF program in Quebec.
So I am not against IVF being government funded but tell us what your province needs to give up because our two largest provinces are broke.
As a woman who is currently looking down the long itemized list of costs associated with IVF, I would love to say 'Let's just adopt!'. Sadly, our chances of being chosen out of all other waiting couples to adopt a child are no better then my chances for successful implantation. Sadder still, adoption can be just as cost prohibitive as IVF (even locally), and many times it can actually be more expensive. If you are on the adoption waiting list, you have to pay for a qualification assessment every few months (~6) that you aren't chosen.
So basically my choices are the same either way, at similar cost. Instead of keeping our savings FOR a child we always assumed we'd be able to have when we were ready, we can pay to adopt a child or go through IVF treatments. That's it.
I would be relieved if the government funded even a few rounds of IVF, and we could keep the saving for our child's university education. But for now, we continue to weigh our two options, but I'm glad we at least have those options.
Well, if we didn't have a culture that valued biological reproduction so much, there would be no insult. When I refer to making "adoption a more accessible option," I'm talking about the exact barriers you point out. For the record, if I broke my back, I'd hope society wouldn't make me feel like a worse person for it (the way we do to people without biological offspring) and I certainly wouldn't feel entitled to unlimited resources being poured into getting me to exactly where I was. Our attitudes need to change quite a bit to recognise that someone somewhere suffers greatly for the extravagant use of resources.
For couples dealing with infertility there is nothing more insulting than telling them to adopt or to work/volunteer with children. In BC there are approximately 50 adoptions per year, some couples wait for 3-5 years to be chosen as the adoptive parents, others are never chosen. A "local adoption" in BC costs approximately $23000, an international adoption ranges from $30 - $50000 depending on the country. Becoming involved in other children's lives as a teacher, coach, or caretaker is not even remotely comparable to raising a child from birth.
To tell a women or man that their medical condition is not covered by either provincial medical care or extended medical health benefits because it does not affect their quality of life is ignorant and insulting when discussing infertility. If you broke your back and were confined to a wheel chair would you not want and demand the best medical care our country has to offer; from medical testing, medications, surgeries, and rehab therapies? Why is it different for those dealing with reproductive health?
With so many humans on this planet already, it makes no sense to pour our resources into allowing a few others to add to our numbers -especially public resources. Governments should focus on toppling economic and social restrictions to birth control and education worldwide. For those in wealthy nations where IVF might be available, the government might instead step in to make adoption a more accessible option for those who are so determined to be parents.
Another alternative might be to help these people get qualified as teachers, coaches, and caretakers.