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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Sarah Marsh

British women turn to IVF clinics in Greece and Turkey to avoid higher costs

Eggs being fertilised in a lab in preparation for IVF
Many British women are choosing to travel to Greece and Turkey to take advantage of cheaper IVF treatment. Photograph: MBI/Alamy

Caroline cried cycling to work after discovering she was going through early menopause. She received the diagnosis over the phone from her GP after months of brain fog, depression and other unexplained symptoms. Shortly afterwards, she ended up in a fertility clinic in Greece.

At the time, three years ago, then aged 34, Caroline, who did not want to give her full name and who lives in London, knew she wanted children but her options in the UK were limited. There was a year-long waiting list for a single cycle of IVF in her area, plus another year’s wait for egg donation. “The length of wait was too long,” Caroline said.

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