San Francisco Chronicle Examines How California Is Attracting Infertile Couples Searching for Reproductive Technologies

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 17 Aug 2005 - 14:00 PDT

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The San Francisco Chronicle on Monday examined how California is a "major destination for so-called reproductive tourists" because of the state's "abundance of good fertility clinics and laissez-faire attitude toward the technology." Infertile couples and gay and lesbian couples from countries that restrict the use of reproductive technology are using the Internet to search for clinics that will provide the services. The state has about 50 fertility clinics, a "thriving" market for donor eggs, agencies that will arrange surrogacy agreements, and judicial precedents that protect the parental rights of couples who contract for egg donation and surrogacy. Although the number of people traveling to California to access reproductive technology services is only about a few thousand annually, some clinics and agencies are trying to take advantage of the growing market. "Not only are some of the major clinics attracting a significant overseas clientele, but they are marketing overseas as well," Debora Spar, a Harvard Business School professor studying the fertility industry, said, adding, "It makes perfect sense from a business perspective" (Barnum, San Francisco Chronicle, 8/15).

The San Francisco Chronicle

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