Why Infertility Treatment is Booming in Ukraine

In Ukraine, where Elizabeth Adeney was helped to conceive her child, the infertility treatment business is booming. There are eight clinics in the capital Kiev and about a dozen others ­elsewhere in the country. Many have slick English language websites to attract foreign clients. One clinic in Odessa said it receives two or three requests a week for IVF from British women. "You can get help with infertility in every corner of our country," said Alexander Yuzko, president of the Ukrainian Association of Reproductive Medicine. While state clinics in Ukraine were limited by law to ­providing IVF to women aged between 18 and 49 (using their own eggs), there were no restrictions on private clinics.

Igor Livshits, head of the ­reproductive medicine at the Genesis clinic in Simferopol, said up to 10% of his patients were foreigners, and patient numbers were growing by 20% per year. He said the clinic could organize treatment with donated eggs. "The donors are young, healthy women of fertile age who are thoroughly tested," he said.

He added: "If tests show that a 66-year-old woman has no health problems and can carry to term, why not do IVF?