Fertility Treatments Becoming More Common
Fertility treatments are on the rise.
Image: YLE
More people in Finland are turning to fertility treatments to have children. Two years ago, the number of people receiving treatments grew 5.6 percent. According to preliminary information, the number rose 0.5 percent last year.
In 2008, over 8,200 in vitro fertilisations, intracytoplasmic sperm injection transfers and frozen embryo transfers were performed.
Over the past decade, fertility treatments have risen nearly 20 percent in Finland. This is mostly due to an increase in the transfer of frozen embryos. Over 40 percent of all in vitro fertilisations are carried out with frozen embryos.
Not a Secret Anymore
In 2007, a law came into affect allowing adult children who are born as the result of donor sperm or eggs to know the identity of the donor. Some feared this would have an effect on the number of donors.
Indeed, treatments using sperm donations fell in 2008 by 23.5 percent. However, the number of treatments with donor eggs grew in 2008 by 9.6 percent from the previous year. Nevertheless, the growth was far less than during the years 2002 through 2006. Treatments are limited by the number of donor eggs available.
The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) says it believes the majority of people using donated sperm have sought out donors from Denmark since the law changed.
YLE