In 1997, IVF was first performed in Vietnam. A year later, the first IVF babies were born. Though it started using IVF later than many other countries (in 1978) and the region (1984), Vietnam now has the highest number of IVF cases in ASEAN and is leading the region in this technique.

It is estimated that 50,000 IVF procedures are done each year and about 200,000 Vietnamese babies have been born thanks to the technique.

According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the current infertility rate in Vietnam is 7.7 percent, with one million infertile or barren couples. They pay VND80-100 million for every IVF. The costs is higher if people have other medical conditions, because they have to undergo genetic testing and embryo screening. If so, the cost is up to VND200-300 million.

IVF now in favor

A couple from Vinh Phuc province visiting the Reproductive Support Center under the Hanoi Medical University told the doctors there that they wanted a baby with IVF.

The husband said they had been living together for three months, but the wife was still not pregnant. They said they want the child to be born in March 2024, so, it is now the best time for IVF.

A fertility doctor noted that many couples now prefer IVF to natural pregnancy. Ten years ago, infertile couples would receive medical treatment to solve infertility. But nowadays, they choose IVF instead of having treatment to increase the chances of having a natural pregnancy.

In many cases, IVF is ordered by couples rather than prescribed by doctors, though they are warned of the risks.

In general, decisions by clients must be respected. As there are many fertility support centers, they have to compete with each other. If doctors refuse to provide the service, clients will leave for other centers.

In the past, if fallopian tube blockage was found as the reason behind the infertility, the wives would undergo surgery. But now, couples tend to use IVF for safety’s sake. An operation to unblock fallopian tubes costs about VND10-20 million. The costs will be hundreds of millions of VND for IVF.

In most cases, doctors fail to persuade infertile couples to take medicine and change their lifestyle to wait for a natural pregnancy.

This explains why more and more fertility support centers have been established under both public and private hospitals. 

Profitable industry

The IVF fertility rate in Vietnam is the highest in the region because the costs are lower. Many foreign couples come to Vietnam to order the service to save money.

On average, an IVF cycle in Vietnam costs $3,200-4,200, while it costs $8,000-10,000 in Thailand, $7,000 in Cambodia and $10,000 in Singapore. Meanwhile, couples have to pay $15,000 in the UK. 

Though the service fee in Vietnam is very competitive, it is still unaffordable for many Vietnamese couples. Some couples have to have 5-7 IVF cycles before they achieve success. The total costs amount to hundreds of millions of dong. Some couples have to sell their houses to treat their infertility.

Nguyen Viet Quang, Director of the National Fertility Support Center under the Central Obstetrics Hospital, warned that having IVF treatments may lead to dangerous complications. 

After many years of following the process to treat infertility, Ngoc, a woman in Hanoi, was "dumbfounded" when the doctor informed her that it would be difficult for her to have another child because of the side effects after ovulation stimulation injection.

Doctors found that she had uterine fibroids and endometriosis, which made it difficult to get pregnant naturally. To have IVF, doctors prescribed three doses of ovulation stimulation. However, when injected, the drug changed the hormones, and Ngoc's endometriosis developed rapidly, and the fibroids also grew larger over time. 

IVF service fee not paid by healthcare insurance fund

While many couples insist on having IVF though they can have natural pregnancy, other couples, for whom IVF is the only way to have children, cannot afford the service.

Prof Nguyen Viet Tien, Deputy Minister of Health, said infertility is not considered a disease in Vietnam, so the expenses for the service are not covered by the health insurance fund. 

Tien said he many couples have sold their homes to get money for IVF treatment.

Tien and other medical experts believe that Vietnam's population growth rate has been controlled, so it is necessary to change the policies to adapt to the new circumstances.

Phuong Thuy