Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on September 2, 2009
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/dep300
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Cross-border reproductive care in Belgium
1 Bioethics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium 2 Hôpital Universitaire Saint-Pierre, Clinique de Procréation Médicalement Assistée, Bruxelles, Belgium 3 A.Z.Jan Palfijn, Centrum voor Fertiliteitstherapie, Gent, Belgium 4 Hôpital Erasme, Centre de FIV de l'ULB, Bruxelles, Belgium 5 Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen, Centrum voor Reproductieve Geneeskunde, Antwerpen, Belgium 6 Clinique Saint Vincent, Centre Liégeois pour l'Etude et le Traitement de la Stérilité, Rocourt, Belgium 7 Algemeen Ziekenhuis Middelheim, Dienst Fertiliteit, Antwerpen, Belgium 8 Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Centrum voor Reproductive Geneeskunde, Brussel, Belgium 9 Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent, Vrouwenkliniek—Infertiliteitscentrum, Gent, Belgium 10 Universitaire Ziekenhuizen K.U.Leuven, Leuven University Fertility Centre, Leuven, Belgium 11 Regionaal Ziekenhuis Heilig Hart, Leuven Institute for Fertility and Embryology, Leuven, Belgium 12 CHIREC, C.G. Interrégional Edith Cavell, Bruxelles, Belgium 13 Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Genk, Belgium 14 Centre Hospitalier Régional de Namur, Service Gynéco, Namur, Belgium 15 Grand Hôpital de Charleroi—Site Notre-Dame, Centre Hennuyer d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Charleroi, Belgium 16 Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Gynéco-FIV, Bruxelles, Belgium 17 Algemeen Ziekenhuis Sint-Jan, BIRTH Fertiliteitskliniek, Brugge, Belgium
18 Correspondence address: Guido Pennings, Bioethics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Tel/Fax: +32 16 620 767; E-mail: Guido.Pennings{at}Ugent.be
BACKGROUND: Cross-border reproductive care indicates the cross-border movements made by patients to obtain infertility treatment they cannot obtain at home. The problem at present is that empirical data on the extent of the phenomenon are lacking. This article presents the data on infertility patients going to Belgium for treatment.
METHODS: A survey was conducted among the centres for reproductive medicine that are allowed to handle oocytes and create embryos (B-centres). Data were collected on the nationality of patients and the type of treatment for which they attended during the period 2000–2007.
RESULTS: Sixteen of 18 centres responded to the questionnaire. The flow of foreign patients has stabilized since 2006 at approximately 2100 patients per year. The majority of foreign nationals seeking treatment in Belgium were French women for sperm donation. The next highest group was patients entering the country to obtain ICSI with ejaculated sperm.
CONCLUSIONS: There are clear indications that numerous movements are motivated by the wish to evade legal restrictions in one's home country, either because the technology is prohibited or because the patients have characteristics, which exclude them from treatment in their own countries.
Key words: cross-border reproductive care/foreign patients/law/reproductive tourism
Submitted on February 8, 2009; resubmitted on May 8, 2009; accepted on June 18, 2009.