Family Balancing Clinics, Why Thailand Is A Popular Choice

Introduction: Many families dream of having a balanced gender composition among their children, whether due to cultural, religious, or personal preferences. Achieving this balance naturally often comes with a 50-50 chance, which can be challenging for families with limited resources or those unwilling to have numerous children. This is where scientific advancements like preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) come into play. 

One popular destination for such gender selection procedures is Thailand. In this article, we will delve into the reasons why Thailand has become a top choice for family balancing clinics and the advantages it offers to prospective parents seeking to complete their family in a balanced manner.

Understanding Family Balancing

There is often the desire for many families to have a specific composition and order of genders in their children. Many cultures and religions have a preference for firstborn children to be male. It could also be an issue of personal preference.

Later, with subsequent children, the family may also want a balanced representation of both genders. This is what family balancing is about. So, for those that already have a child or children of just one gender, the desire to have another child of the opposite gender may be substantial.

There is a 50-50% chance of conceiving a child of either gender with natural conception. However, with most families having limited resources or not wanting to have too many children in repeated attempts to achieve family balancing, a more scientific approach is required.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) and IVF

This is where preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) done during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) comes in. This screening process of embryos created in a lab setting allows for determining what embryos carry the XX chromosomes for females and XY chromosomes for males.

This allows the fertility specialist to transfer embryos of the desired gender into the woman’s uterus in hopes of successful implantation. PGT is the most effective way to increase the chances of conceiving a child of a particular gender.

Other methods can be used, however, they are far less accurate, and there is little medical research that backs up their efficacy. For families looking to achieve family balancing, this process is, however, not always accessible.

Hence, many couples often end up traveling to Thailand to undergo IVF treatment that will allow them to go through the PGT process of gender selection. Let us first look at why family balancing is not universally accessible.

Family Balancing Concerns

Family balancing is all about choosing what gender of the child will be conceived. It ensures that the family has both male and female children represented in their composition. Ideally, it should not matter which gender comes first; however, in some cultures and religions, there is often a preference for males over females.

This bias has led many families in such communities to undertake abortions of female fetuses. As a result, more males are born than females, leading to severe gender imbalances in such countries as India and China. This gender imbalance means that many men that are of age to marry are often unable to do so due to a lack of prospective partners.

This has led to unfortunate societal consequences, including increasing sexual violence and human trafficking of women to these communities. This has in turn resulted in many governments opting to make gender selection during IVF and gender identification during such procedures as ultrasounds illegal.

These legal enforcements are being done to correct the gender imbalances created in those societies. Unfortunately, these restrictions also affect families that genuinely desire family balancing, which involves having both genders represented and not just picking a single gender over the other. For this reason, you will find some families opting to travel abroad for fertility treatment, where gender selection is legally permitted.

Thailand is amongst the top choices for people wanting to undertake family balancing. Here is why you should consider this a top choice for such medical intervention.

Why Choose Thailand For Family Balancing?

Thailand’s legal and advanced medical infrastructure provides an excellent environment for family balancing procedures. Our extensive experience in assisting families with IVF and PGT processes in Thailand has shown promising outcomes and high satisfaction rates, helping many families achieve their desired gender balance.

Baby girl and boy

Legal Aspects and Benefits of Preimplantation Gender Testing (PGT) in Thailand

Thailand allows its fertility clinics to offer preimplantation gender testing (PGT). This is chromosomal screening that checks not just on the gender of the embryos, but also the presence of genetic conditions. This screening helps boost the chances that a couple will conceive a child of their preferred gender and will be healthy.

Though medical authorities do not encourage gender selection, the law still permits the practice to be undertaken by fertility clinics. For parents living in countries that have outlawed gender screening, traveling to Thailand allows them to legally access this service and undergo the IVF treatment needed to successfully conceive a child of their desired gender. After that, they can return to their country already assured of what will be the outcome of their pregnancy. There is a near 100% success rate regarding gender selection through IVF treatment.

This legality of screening is also less stressful to the mothers than having to go through natural conception and realize that the child is not of the desired gender through an ultrasound. Depending on what part of the world they are in, this could likely mean undergoing a legal or illegal abortion and later trying for another pregnancy. If they go through with the pregnancy, the child may be at risk of suffering from neglect or other abuse due to not being of the desired gender.

Affordability

The cost of many medical procedures and treatments in Thailand is often much lower than what you would be charged in a western nation in Europe, Australia, or North America. These costs related to fertility treatments can be as little as a third of what you would pay in the west. This, coupled with the fact that many patients can combine this with a holiday experience, has encouraged many to make this investment in family balancing.

So, by choosing Thailand, couples can get to enjoy not just a more affordable medical treatment but also a relaxing vacation that can help make up for the mental and physical stress they will go through at the time.

Quality of Healthcare

Thailand has become one of the world’s premier medical tourism destinations in Asia. The level of medical expertise and advanced technology has also helped make it a top choice for reproductive tourism. There are over 40 fertility clinics in the kingdom to choose from, meaning much flexibility of choice for hopeful parents.

At First Fertility, we recognize that when it comes to such delicate procedures as IVF and genetic screening, one will naturally want to have the best medical care possible, which is what Thailand offers. There is also the added benefit that many clinics also offer cryogenic freezing of embryos, allowing you to undergo later implantation of healthy embryos if you want to have more children or if the particular round of IVF fails.

Conclusion: Thailand stands out as a premier destination for family balancing fertility treatments due to its legal allowance for gender selection, affordability, and high-quality healthcare. For families facing legal restrictions or high costs in their home countries, traveling to Thailand offers a viable and attractive option to achieve their desired family composition. With advanced medical facilities and the possibility of combining treatment with a rejuvenating holiday, couples can confidently pursue their family goals in a supportive and professional environment.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions