Children are Ontario's most valuable future resource. Our provincial government claims to be concerned about our province's declining birth rate, yet they have refused to provide necessary medical assistance for couples who desperately want to become parents.
It is thought that infertility affects 8.5 - 15% of reproductive age couples in Ontario. Infertility is not a choice. Infertility is a devastating medical condition. Medical technology exists to help many infertile families to conceive the children they so desperately desire. Sadly, IVF (in-vitro fertilization) and other assisted reproduction technologies (ART) remain beyond the financial means of most people.
In Ontario, IVF was once fully funded, but in the mid 90's the government of Ontario severely restricted infertility funding. Quebec and many countries around the world, now fund treatment for infertile couples.
In August 2009, the Government's own Expert Panel on Infertility and Adoption recommended that Ontario fund three full cycles of IVF. The evidence shows that funding IVF will reduce the number of multiple births and make infertility treatments safer for mothers and their children. Most importantly, the Expert Panel has also shown that Ontario will save $400 - $500 million over the next 10 years by reducing multiple births born through assisted reproduction. These savings could offset the cost of providing IVF and other Assisted Reproductive Technologies to patients who require treatment to start their families. The full report of the Expert Panel is available at www.ontario.ca/creatingfamilies.
Since 1983, thousands of children have been born in Ontario through assisted reproductive technologies. Today, these children - some of whom are now voting age - and their parents and extended families expect our political leaders to address this important issue courageously and fairly, so that all Ontario residents may share not only in the costs but also in the public benefits of IVF treatment.
WHO ARE WE? Conceivable Dreams - The OHIP for IVF Coalition was founded by infertility patients, Joanne Horibe, Ashley Bulley and Kerri Stanford. We decided to use the social networking tool, Facebook, to unite infertility sufferers and their friends, families and supporters in the hope of having funding reinstated for IVF and ART. We are not a charity and we do not provide support services. We are just a group of caring people who have joined together to ask the Ontario government to reinstate funding for the treatment of Ontario's infertile couples.
It is time for Ontario infertility patients to be granted the understanding, compassion and financial support afforded to patients of other medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. It is time for fairness for Ontario's infertile families.
For more information about how to get involved in this important issue please click here.
