National Council for Women's Medicine made its recommendations for the return of fertility treatments • In the clear outline: 39 years and older can return to IVF treatment
Fertility and IVF unit // Photo: Liron Moldovan
After a special hearing on the reinstatement of fertility treatments in hospitals last Friday, the National Council for Women's Medicine made its recommendations to the Ministry of Health on Monday to restore fertility treatments in Israel, which, as it is known, were discontinued following the spread of the corona virus in Israel.
This is the outline for the return of fertility treatments: 39 and over can return to IVF treatments in hospitals, including egg pumping. Aged 35 and over can only be treated at community outpatient clinics and undergo insemination only. This is all provided the patients are healthy and do not suffer from background illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease or overweight. Cancer patients who need treatment to preserve their fertility (before chemotherapy) can continue to do so. The treatments will be done for women and men who undergo a corona test 72 hours before the clinic.
Dr. Vered Ezra, head of the medical department at the Ministry of Health, was updated this morning at a hearing by the Corona Committee, chaired by MK Ofer Shelah, that the Health Ministry will adopt the recommendations and publish them later today. MK Shelah was interested in saying, "Why IVF requires special guidance?" Dr. Ezra replied that "There is concern about an operation being done on a woman who does not know she is ill. I am talking about invasive treatments. Complications can be great. "IVF treatments, we are among the first to do so. Freezing embryos, for example, can harm the other embryos that are present in the container. So everything has to be done considering the strong desire to continue trying to conceive, and on the other hand, to maintain the safety and health of the mother and the newborn."
MK Kati Sheetrit, of the Likud Party, who accompanied the female forum for fertility treatment and worked to resume treatment said on the developments that "the recommendation of fertility doctors in Israel is encouraging, but unsatisfactory. About 15,000 women may lose their chances of embracing a child. I urge the Ministry of Health to fully renew fertility treatments while maintaining women's health. "
Deganit Yiftach, chairman of the Women's Forum, commented on the recommendations, saying that "we are encouraged that our pressure is working and the recommendation for a series of measures that meet our demand is raised by the retiring Minister of Health Litzman. However, these recommendations are only about IVF treatments at age 39, and community clinics at age 35, which means they do not offer a solution to the plight of most of the 20,000 girls whose fertility treatments were discontinued about five weeks ago. Therefore, our public struggle continues, in the High Court, the government and the Knesset. "