Starting your journey to becoming parents but facing fertility challenges? Let’s talk about In-vitro fertilization (IVF), a transformative method helping countless couples in realizing their parenthood dreams. This article explores all you need to know about IVF, its procedures, costs, associated risks, and the supportive role of KompleteCare.

What is the cost of IVF in Nigeria? The cost of IVF in Nigeria varies, with estimates ranging from N900,000 to N4,700,000. Factors influencing costs include medication, the woman’s age, her medical history, location, and the number of treatment cycles.

Researching reputable fertility clinics and understanding these factors is crucial for informed decision-making on your IVF journey.

IVF is classified in a fertility treatment group called assisted reproductive technology (ART), and it is a complex series of procedures for the treatment of infertility that can result in a pregnancy.

Key Points:

IVF involves removing mature eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilizing them with donor sperm from a man in a laboratory setting.
IVF treatment can occasionally take longer if the processes are divided into separate steps, but on average, IVF takes three to four weeks for a complete cycle.
The success rate of IVF on average in Nigeria can depend on the aforementioned factors: 40–60% for a patient less than 35 years old; and 30–35% for a patient above 35 years old.
Factors that contribute to the cost of IVF in Nigeria include: medication, woman’s age, medical history, etc
Costs of IVF in some Nigerian cities go thus: Lagos (N3.8m – N4.3m), Ibadan (N3.1m – N3.5m), Abuja (N3.4m – N4.2m), Kano (N3.3m – N3.6m), Benin City (N3.2m – N3.5m) and Asaba (N1.5m – N4m).

Infertility is a condition in which you cannot fall pregnant after more than a year of having unprotected sexual intercourse. IVF is not only for the treatment of infertility; it can also be effectively used to prevent the transmission of genetic problems to offspring through pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT).

Although IVF treatment can be time-consuming and invasive, millions of children have been born through this method and they are living a healthy life without any complications from the procedure.

IVF involves removing mature eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilizing them with donor sperm from a man in a laboratory setting. Then one or more of the fertilized eggs, called embryos, are surgically placed in the uterus, where babies develop. IVF treatment can occasionally take longer if the processes are divided into separate steps, but on average, IVF takes three to four weeks for a complete cycle.

Before you consider having IVF to treat infertility, you can explore other less invasive treatments, like taking ovaries simulation drugs to produce more eggs and insert sperm into the uterus when ovulation begins. This procedure is called intrauterine insemination.

IVF treatment is usually recommended as the primary treatment for infertility for adults over the age of 40.

However, IVF can be done if you have specific medical conditions such as blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, ovulation abnormalities, endometriosis, issues with sperm, pregnancy prevention surgery, genetic disorders, and inexplicable infertility.

Procedures for IVF

IVF can be performed using a couple’s own eggs and sperm or eggs and sperm from a known or unknown donor. In some situations, a gestational carrier might be involved.

You can begin an IVF treatment by finding a reputable fertility clinic in Nigeria that performs IVF.

Also, do not forget that the success rate of any fertility clinic hinges on the ages of the patients, their medical history, and number of embryos transferred, and the treatment techniques the clinic adopts.

The success rate of IVF on average in Nigeria can depend on the aforementioned factors: 40–60% for a patient less than 35 years old; 30–35% for a patient above 35 years old; 10% for a patient above 40 years old (using their own eggs); and 40–50% for a recipient cycle.

A successful IVF treatment involves the following steps:

Stimulation of the ovaries

Your doctor administers gonadotropin-releasing hormone and follicle-stimulating medication that will trigger the maturation of multiple eggs in your ovaries. Then the injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), enables the harvest of eggs for a single IVF treatment cycle. An ultrasound machine will be used to monitor the egg production and the exact moment to collect them for the procedure.

Retrieval of eggs

You are put to sleep with the anaesthesia medication before this procedure begins. An invasive surgical approach will be done using ultrasound to guide a needle through your vagina to the follicle that holds the eggs, and the instrument will suck the eggs and fluids.

Fertilization of the eggs

After the harvest of the eggs from your follicles, the sperm of your partner will be injected into the eggs. This procedure is done on a culture dish or laboratory dish to enable germination. Note that the sperm will go through sperm analysis to select quality sperm for the actual fertilization.

Embryo culture

Embryo culture is the inceptive or embryonic advancing stages of the fertilized eggs. The eggs are intensively monitored to ensure that they are dividing and evolving progressively. At this stage, the healthcare practitioner can perform relevant examinations on the fertilized embryo for any genetic abnormality or inherited disease.

Embryo transfer

After approximately three or five days of egg fertilization, the fertilized eggs are ready to be transferred into your uterus. The transfer procedure is usually done with the use of a thin tub called a catheter, which is inserted through your vagina up to the uterus, and the fertilized embryo is deposited safely. Ideally, it is expected that the embryo will attach to your uterus wall in 6 to 10 days, and your pregnancy experience will begin. Hormone medications such as oestrogens and progesterone are administered, along with other additional medications, at the start of pregnancy.

The cost of IVF in Nigeria

Your journey with IVF starts off with a decision with your partner concerning conceiving through IVF and then consultation with a fertility doctor for the right medical advice. Of course, it is important to know the cost of IVF in Nigeria and check if there are suitable payment plans you can opt for.

Note: All the figures spelt out in this article are considered in Naira, and are estimated. Thus, they could be slightly more or less than stated.

When it comes to pricing, various factors contribute to the cost of IVF in Nigeria. Some of these include:

Medication: The need for medication could be high or low, and that depends on the quality of your eggs. There is a need for medications to be administered to stimulate your ovaries to mature eggs for harvest, and that certainly affects the cost of IVF in Nigeria. Considering the IVF treatment plan suitable for you, the cost of the mandatory fertility treatment medication ranges from N900,000 to N1,000,000.

Age of the woman: the age of the woman adds to the factor, as in some cases, a woman over 40 years old can necessitate the recommendation for the intracytoplasmic sperm infection (ICSI) treatment, which in turn increases the cost of IVF. The younger a woman is, the more likely it is for her to fall pregnant using her own eggs during the IVF treatment.

Medical history: from your consultation and taking of your medical history, the medical practitioner can recommend the appropriate IVF treatment based on the cause of infertility. Before the commencement of the procedure, the fertility clinic will run tests such as ovarian reserve testing, infectious disease screening, sperm analysis, and gynaecological endoscopy. Therefore, the suggested treatment cost is rooted in your diagnosed infertility cause.

Advanced and ancillary treatment: Some advanced or additional treatment could arise in the process of your treatment, and that will also be an additional expense on your part. If you are using sperm or egg donors in your IVF treatment, there will be an additional increase of about 50% in the cost of IVF. Additional procedures that require additional ART can increase the cost of IVF, namely, assisted sperm extraction and washing, laparoscopy, endometrial scratching, and laser-assisted hatching.

Location: location can impact the cost of IVF. The cost of IVF in Nigeria will be higher in cities where the standard of living is high and the expertise is available. However, note that the cost of IVF in Nigeria varies with different cities.

Gestational carrier or third-party IVF: If a situation arises and demands an arrangement for gestational carrier, in which the pregnancy is carried to term by someone other than you, the cost of IVF in Nigeria will be high. In this instance, sperm fertilizes your eggs, but the fertilized embryos are deposited in the uterus of the gestational carrier or a surrogate.

Number of cycles: a single cycle of IVF procedure in Nigeria is said to cost between N1,000,000 to N1,500,000, excluding the cost of drugs. A cycle of IVF begins from the first day of your period to the day the embryo is transferred into your uterus.

With this in mind, sometimes 2 or 3 cycles of IVF treatment will be needed before you can get pregnant, and the likelihood of you conceiving and having a healthy baby could lie in having more than one cycle of IVF. Therefore, as the number of cycles increases, the cost of IVF treatment increases as well.

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As you make arrangements for the IVF treatment payment plan with the fertility clinics, bear in mind that some clinics opt for payment up to 3 cycles; just in case you cannot successfully conceive in the first cycle, the second cycle can commence without hitches. However, whichever way it goes, you can get a refund if, per adventure, you get pregnant at the first cycle.

In a nutshell, each person’s situation is unique, and here are the estimated costs of IVF in some Nigerian cities, according to research:

Lagos: N3, 800,000–N4, 300,000

Ibadan: N3,100,000–N3, 500, 000

Abuja: N3,400,000–N4, 200, 000

Kano: N3,300,000–N3, 600, 000

Benin City: N3,200,000–N3, 500, 000

Asaba: N1,500,000–N4,000,000

Risks involved with IVF

Stress: the cost of IVF in Nigeria causes you stress. Also, the IVF procedure itself can be hard on your body and mind. Some assistance from family and friends can go a long way toward helping you and your partner during IVF treatment.
Miscarriage: A study reveals that the rate of miscarriage for couples conceiving using IVF is the same as for couples conceiving naturally. However, the rate increases with the age of the woman.
Egg retrieval stage: the egg retrieval stage involves the use of a long, thin needle to collect eggs from the follicles guided by ultrasound images. The needle could initiate bleeding or damage to the blood vessel, bladder, or bowel. Risks can be associated with the anaesthesia given to you to make you sleep during the procedure.
Swollen and painful ovaries: this condition is called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and can be caused by the injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) given to stimulate ovulation. The symptoms can be experienced in the form of mild belly pain, vomiting, and bloating.
Multiple babies: The risk of becoming pregnant with multiple babies is high with IVF, and carrying multiple babies raises your chances of having pre-eclampsia, early labour, diabetes, and low birth defects.

When you research the best fertility clinic to offer you the desired infertility treatment, do your best to find a location that has well-educated and experienced professionals, offers clear costs of IVF and procedures, has well-designed infrastructure for optimal comfort, and satisfaction, and above all, respects you and helps you from the start of the process until conception is achieved.

How KompleteCare Can Help

About to begin your IVF journey, and don’t know where to start? Book an online consultation with an expert Fertility Doctor on KompleteCare today.

Here are 5 important questions our certified fertility doctor can help you answer during your consultation:

What are the necessary tests needed to be done before starting IVF treatment?
What are my chances of success with IVF?
Which is better for me if I have unexplained infertility: IUI or IVF?
How long is the IVF process expected to take from start to finish?
Are there any side effects of IVF treatments?

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is IVF for twins in Nigeria?

The cost of IVF in Nigeria on average is between N900,000 and N4,700,000; nonetheless, there is no specific fee attached to the number of embryos you request to be transferred; the initial fee charged covers whether you want a single fertilized embryos transferred or multiple fertilized embryo transferred into your uterus.

Also, know that in some cases, not all fertilized embryos transferred into your uterus will survive to term in the course of your pregnancy journey.

2. Which hospital is good for IVF in Nigeria?

There are various fertility hospitals in Nigeria with satisfactory reviews online. Some of them include Select IVF, Nordica Fertility Centre, World Fertility Service, Bloom Fertility Clinic, and National Hospital Abuja, to name a few. However, it all depends on your unique quest, availability, and affordability.

3. Cost of IVF in UCH Ibadan

The estimated cost of IVF in UCH Ibadan is within the range of N3,100,000–N3,500,000. However, some factors such as inflation and exchange rates could affect this stated price.

4. Cost of IVF in a government hospital in Nigeria

The cost of IVF treatment in government hospitals in Nigeria is N900,000. This price does not include the medications or any advanced treatment.

Conclusion

In-vitro fertilization, also called IVF, is an assisted reproductive technology (ART), and it involves a series of procedures for the treatment of infertility that can lead to pregnancy. The cost of IVF in Nigeria is high for an average person, and however, finding an affordable fertility clinic with transparent costs of IVF and procedure can go a long way to help you.

IVF has helped a lot of people to get pregnant; however, the success rate depends on the ages of the patients, their medical history, and number of embryos transferred, and the treatment techniques the clinic adopts.

A successful IVF treatment starts off with the stimulation of the ovaries, then retrieval of eggs, fertilization of the eggs, embryo culture, and embryo transfer.

IVF treatment has some risks that come with it, such as stress, miscarriage, swollen and painful ovaries, and multiple babies. However, endeavour to find the best fertility clinic that will offer you the desired infertility treatment, and have well-educated and experienced professionals.

Reference

Fertility hub Nigeria. (2023). Understanding IVF treatment cost in Nigeria. https://www.fertilityhubnigeria.com/understanding-ivf-treatment-cost-nigeria/

Mayo clinic. In vitro fertilization. (2023). https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/in-vitro-fertilization/about/pac-20384716

Nisa premier hospital. (2023). FAQs: Cost of IVF in Abuja, IVF success rate, side effect. https://nisa.com.ng/cost-of-ivf-in-abuja/

Nordica fertility centre. Pricing. (2023). https://nordicalagos.org/pricing/

Select IVF. (2023). How Much Does IVF Cost in Nigeria 2023. https://www.selectivf.com/ivf-cost-in-nigeria/