Ontario government should fund fertility treatments, advocates say
For Tara Wood, the decision to abandon fertility treatments in the hopes of getting pregnant came down to money.
After two unsuccessful rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF), and three of intrauterine insemination (IUI), Wood knew she couldn't afford to go on.
Advocacy group Conceivable Dreams, of which Wood is a board member, wants Ontario to offer more financial support to those relying on fertility treatment to have a child as a new survey released by the group on Wednesday shows the severity of the issue.
Eighty per cent of those who answered a survey of fertility treatment patients on the Conceivable Dreams' website said they required services not covered by the province. Over a third, 34 per cent, spent more than $30,000 to try and conceive.
The government says it spends $70 million each year to help 13,000 patients with fertility treatments.
Since 2015, the province has covered one cycle of IVF for those under 43, a treatment that costs about $20,000. But there's no support to pay for the $5,000 worth of drugs associated with a round of treatment or travel expenses.
Conceivable Dreams is calling on the province to establish a tax credit to help with the cost of fertility drugs and travel associated with their treatment. They'd also like fertility program patients in northern Ontario to be able to claim an existing grant to cover travel costs to access healthcare.
"This isn't a nice to have, this is a need to have if we want to allow people to continue to have families, continue to support them, and continue to replenish our population," Wood tells CTV News Toronto.
The World Health Organization estimates that one in six adults worldwide experiences infertility.
The fact that it can take two to three rounds of IVF to achieve pregnancy, and that Ontario clinics are clustered in urban centres can add to the financial, emotional, and physical drain.
Renée Higgins of Sudbury said becoming a mother has cost her a lot."When you're going through treatment, you need to be in clinic multiple times a week, so you might be driving to Toronto or staying there for two weeks if you need to, to make sure that you're there for your ultrasound, your bloodwork," Wood explains.
In a statement a spokesperson for Health Minister Sylvia Jones writes:
"Our government knows some Ontarians are spending too much time trying to navigate the healthcare system and travelling too far to access care, that is why we are continuing to improve the Ontario Fertility Program in underserviced areas of the province to ensure patients and their families can have convenient access to treatment and care wherever they live.”
Renée Higgins of Sudbury is grateful there is help from the government but her journey to become a mother has cost her a lot.
The emotional and physical strain of six rounds of IVF, waking up in the dark to make 8 a.m. appointments in Markham, remortgaging her home, and paying $100,000.
Last year, she was surprised to find a stuffed envelope in her mailbox, in response to an application to the Northern Ontario Travel Grant.
"When I opened the envelope, I started crying. It was thick because there were denial letters," Higgins tells CTV News Toronto.
"There's so much more that we can do to help make it easier for people to build their families."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW This Canadian scientist combines passion for history, archeology and genetics to solve ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles
Turi King takes pride in her work solving ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles – including a centuries-old mystery involving an infamous British king.
Oilers advance to Stanley Cup final by beating Stars in Game 6
The Edmonton Oilers rode their special teams and goaltender to victory on Sunday, beating the Dallas Stars 2-1 to win the National Hockey League's Western Conference and earn a berth in the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers.
Expect the cost of your airfare to continue to rise, an aviation trade group and industry heads warn
The cost of your next flight is likely to go up. That's the word from the International Air Transport Association, which held its annual meeting Monday in Dubai.
Do this once a month and extend your life by up to 10 years. No gym required
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
Mexico elects Claudia Sheinbaum as its first woman president
Mexico's projected presidential winner Claudia Sheinbaum will become the first woman president in the country's 200-year history.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22-million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Mackenzie Hughes 'gutted' after falling short at RBC Canadian Open
Mackenzie Hughes had the dream scenario of winning the RBC Canadian Open in his hometown within reach but then it all slipped away.
Motorcycle doing wheelies, weaving in, out of traffic caught on Highway 417
A motorcycle driver is facing charges after being caught on Highway 417 doing wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says.
'Rotten rock': Climate change altering the face of Canadian mountaineering
The Abbot Pass hut stood for decades in a rugged saddle between two iconic peaks, overlooking the limpid turquoise of Banff National Park's Lake Louise — a destination for alpinists from around the world until the ground melted beneath it and forced its closure.