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EUGIN CLINIC FERTILITY TREATMENTS ARE DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR BRITISH WOMEN AND WITH ONE OUT OF EVERY TEN ( IN EUROPE) WOMEN CHOOSING EUGIN IT LEADS EUROPE IN EGG DONATION. SINCE 1999 THEY HAVE BEEN HELPING OVER 15,000 WOMEN MAKE THEIR DREAMS OF A FAMILY
Since its inception in 1999, Eugin Clinic, located in Barcelona, has become one of the foremost fertility centres in Europe in terms of number of treatments. The clinic offers the unique advantage of performing an online diagnosis that helps eliminate waiting lists and makes the whole process more comfortable. In addition, it is the first European fertility clinic to receive the Total Quality Certificate from TÜV, the German certification provider.
WE TALKED TO DOCTOR VALÉRIE VERNAEVE, THE CENTRE’S MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
Fifteen years helping women from all over the world to achieve their dream. Why come to Barcelona? In Spain, we have one of the longest-standing legislations on assisted reproduction in Europe. In 1988 - two years before the UK - the Spanish parliament was one of the first in Europe to pass a law that allows these treatments to be carried out. It is a well-drafted law, which is clear, concise and in line with medical practice, and which health professionals feel completely at ease with. Is the Spanish law so different from the English one? Although they are similar laws, there is one key difference: in Spain the sperm donor is completely anonymous, whereas in the UK, if the child wishes to do so, he or she may know about the donor’s identity as soon as they turn 18.
Furthermore, the legal framework in Spain allows any woman who wants to be a mother, regardless of her marital status and sexual orientation, to have access to assisted reproduction techniques. The law is clear, and at Eugin we know this and comply with it, availing ourselves of it without the slightest hesitation. Let’s imagine that you receive Anne and Rachel in your consulting room, a lesbian couple who want to have children. What treatment option would you recommend them? At Eugin we always seek the treatment that is most suited to the needs of our patients. Depending on the age of the woman to undergo the treatment, we would recommend an artificial insemination or in vitro fertilisation treatment. If the two women want to take part in the pregnancy, we can offer a specific technique that involves both of them: the reception of oocytes from partners (ROPA). When would they be able to start and how many times would they have to come to Barcelona? At Eugin, we don’t have waiting lists: the treatment can begin when the women feel ready. To make the whole process easier and reduce travel costs, we offer them two alternatives: a couple of short visits to Barcelona or a single stay, which can last about 15 days - during which time the treatment is completed. Overall, the process typically takes about a month. The choice of the donor is usually one of the issues that most concerns the couple who are to undergo treatment. How is this selection done? Sperm donors and egg donors are selected after undergoing a rigorous process, involving both a medical team and psychologists. A thorough clinical examination is carried out, which includes tests to detect genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis or hereditary anaemia, in addition to other complementary tests. After these tests, only one in ten sperm donors are accepted, and in the case of egg donors, one in three. Finally, we would like you to tell us, from a personal standpoint, what fulfils you most about your work? My position in Eugin allows me to implement efficiency improvements in all processes, thus contributing towards helping the women who visit our centre to fulfil their dream, which is to get pregnant. I take all this on as a challenge which I face every day with great enthusiasm, always giving the most of myself and never losing sight of the real purpose of my job: to help each and every one of the women who come to us. EUGIN CLINIC ( www. eugin. co. uk) is one of the biggest fertility clinics in Europe