Utah is one of the US states with the highest fertility rates in the US since it is way above the nation's average fertility rate of 1,765.5 births per 1000 woman. At 2120.5 births per 1000 women per year, Utah is only second to South Dakota that has 2,275 births per 1000 women each year. This high fertility rate in Utah, in turn, means that the state is well above the national replacement rate of 2100 births per 1000 women per year (Collins, 2019). In spite of these promising statistics, the state of Utah is struggling with rising infertility rates and most of the pregnancies results from infertility treatment. As if taking cue from these infertility rates, the state of Utah is home to many fertility clinics, which exist to help women to become pregnant and in turn give birth successfully, the fertility clinics have helped maintain high birth rate as more twins and triplets are being born in Utah. A closer look into Utah’s infertility therapy helps to establish their processes, resources, effectiveness, affordability, and safety among other issues.
Assessment of Infertility Therapies Available in Utah
Infertility therapy is the way to go for women who cannot conceive normally and who are keen on having children. Utah is one of the US states that have managed to have a high birth rate thanks to successful infertility therapies that lead to twin and triplet births (Perlich, 2018). In spite of the high success rates, it is important to look into these therapies to establish whether they are safe, effective, and affordable. In Utah, infertility treatments most specifically In vitro fertilization (IVF) is quite expensive running up to $36,000, which in turn impedes its affordability. According to Stanford et al (2018), the reason why IVF is so expensive is the fact that most of the insurance companies do not reimburse costs associated with IVF. Moreover, IVF is associated with extra costs in terms of caring for the pregnancy and the newborns who may require intensive care.
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Apart from the high costs associated with infertility therapies, it is important to focus on their safety and effectiveness. In Utah, several fertility treatment options are available including IVF, artificial insemination, fertility drugs, surgery, and intrauterine insemination (IUI). Each of the treatment options has a certain degree of risk and effectiveness, which again depends on the risk factors that define each patient. IVF is considered much more effective when compared to other options considering it has up to 80 percent success rate. When it comes to safety, some of the treatment options are riskier in terms of low birth weight and preterm births. Patients who opt for superovulation and IVF risk giving birth to preterm babies with low birth weight and other neonatal problems. In Utah, a study that was conducted established that 18.7% of children conceived from IVF, 11.2% from AI, and 7.7% from ovulation drugs spent seven more days in hospital (Stanford et al, 2018). These statistics show that while infertility treatments are the answer to infertility they are associated with several risks as compared to normal and natural births.
An Investigation into Fertility Treatment Options Available in Utah’s Fertility Clinics
The state of Utah is keen on ensuring the growth of its population and this objective is achieved by establishing and funding clinics to help individuals with fertility issues. Some of the most visible fertility clinics in Utah include Utah Fertility Center, Reproductive Care Center, and Utah Center for Reproductive Medicine. These clinics offer a variety of fertility treatment options but with a min focus on In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). IVF refers to the process of selecting and fertilizing a woman’s eggs and fertilizing them in a laboratory. Upon successful fertilization, the embryos are replaced in the uterus where they develop into a full-grown fetus. IVF is considered one of the most successful fertility treatments offered in these clinics has up to 75 percent success rates. In terms of cost Utah Center for Reproductive Medicine charges $205 for IVF consultation, $ 8900 for IVF and $6000 to $8000 in IVF medications (Utah Centre for Reproductive Medicine.)The clinics offer support and resources to ensure that the patients carry pregnancies to full term. Some of the support offered in these clinics includes counseling so that clients can choose the best options. Additionally, the clinics have numerous manuals that help the patients to understand their conditions, assessment of various treatment options as well as success stories associated with different treatment options
Advice for Someone Dealing With Infertility
An individual who is dealing with infertility ought to visit a fertility clinic for a complete assessment of what has caused infertility, treatment options, and the most suitable option. The individual should avoid seeking answers from websites since they may be misleading an may not help in understanding his or her fertility status.
References
Collins, L. M. (2019, January 9). Only two states had fertility levels above replacement levels in 2017. Utah was one of them. Deseret News. Retrieved on 4 October 2019, from https://www.deseret.com/2019/1/10/20662955/only-two-states-had-fertility-levels-above-replacement-levels-in-2017-utah-was-one-of-them
Perlich, P. S. (2018). Utah’s fertility rate is at a historic low. David Eccles School of Business, the University of Utah. Retrieved on 4 October 2019, from https://gardner.utah.edu/utahs-fertility-rate-is-at-historic-low/
Stanford, J. B., Schliep, K., Najmabadi, S., Hemmert, R., Tuttle, C., Simonsen, S. … & Peterson, C. M. (2018). Infertility and Fertility Treatment in Utah: A Report for the Utah Legislature. Retrieved on 4 October 2019, from https://health.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Utah_fertility_report_2018_Sep.pdf
Utah Centre for Reproductive Medicine. (nd). IVF Treatment & Testing Costs Health University of Utah. Retrieved on 4 October 2019, from https://healthcare.utah.edu/fertility/treatments/in-vitro-fertilization/
