Talking With Your Healthcare Provider

Questions to Ask Your IVF Doctor or Nurse

Your first visit to an IVF Center can sometimes feel overwhelming. On top of dealing with the emotional issues that may arise with infertility, you now find yourself confronting the new, uncharted territory of treatment options.

Bring this list of questions to your first visit to keep track of your thoughts. Staying organized means there's one less thing to worry about, so you can concentrate on improving your fertility options.

  • What specific tests would you recommend to diagnose my infertility? How much do they cost?
  • How long will it take to diagnose our problem?
  • Based on the results of those tests, what are my treatment options, and how much do they cost?
  • What is the national success rate for those treatments in terms of live births?
  • How many Ovulation Induction (OI) cycles do you recommend before moving to in vitro fertilization (IVF)?
  • How many embryos do you typically transfer per cycle?
  • What is the success rate for IVF in terms of live births per embryo transfer?
  • If necessary, can you help me access donor egg, embryo, or sperm programs?
  • Will my insurance pay for the testing and/or treatments? Will your clinic help me determine what my insurance will cover?
  • How will I communicate with you during this whole process?
  • Does your clinic provide emotional counseling, or can you refer me to a counselor who deals with fertility problems?

You can also download and print these questions to take with you to your doctor's visit.

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Know Before You Go

Check into your insurance coverage before you see your healthcare provider. Your policy may determine what kind of healthcare provider you see, what kinds of fertility tests you undergo and in what sequence. To have a benefits specialist assist you, call Fertility LifeLines™ at 1-866-LETS-TRY (1-866-538-7879). All calls are free and confidential.

Can We Afford Fertility Treatment?

Get the facts about paying for treatment. Learn how you can save up to $500 on Gonal-f® (follitropin alfa for injection) with the FertilityAssist 2 program.

Important Considerations:
Gonal-f® RFF Pen (follitropin alfa injection) is indicated for the induction of ovulation and pregnancy in the oligo-anovulatory infertile patient in whom the cause of infertility is functional and not due to primary ovarian failure. Gonal-f® RFF Pen is also indicated for the development of multiple follicles in the ovulatory patient participating in an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) program. Gonal-f® RFF Pen (follitropin alfa injection) should only be prescribed by physicians specializing in fertility or reproductive health. Gonal-f® is a potent gonadotropic substance capable of causing mild to severe adverse reactions, including Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) in women with or without pulmonary or vascular complications, and multiple births. Gonal-f® is contraindicated in women who exhibit prior hypersensitivity to FSH preparations, primary gonadal failure, uncontrolled thyroid or adrenal dysfunction and pregnancy. Nursing women should not use Gonal-f®. Common side effects include headache, abdominal pain, enlarged abdomen, and injection site disorders. For complete product details, see full prescribing information.

Important Considerations:
Women: Gonal-f® (follitropin alfa for injection) is indicated for the induction of ovulation and pregnancy in the anovulatory infertile patient in whom the cause of infertility is functional and not due to primary ovarian failure. Gonal-f® is also indicated for the development of multiple follicles in the ovulatory patient participating in an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) program.
Men: Gonal-f® (follitropin alfa for injection) is indicated for the induction of spermatogenesis in men with primary and secondary hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in whom the cause of infertility is not due to primary testicular failure. Gonal-f® (follitropin alfa for injection) should only be prescribed by physicians who are thoroughly familiar with infertility problems and their management. Gonal-f® is a potent gonadotropic substance capable of causing Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) in women with or without pulmonary or vascular complications. Gonal-f® is contraindicated in women and men who exhibit prior hypersensitivity to recombinant FSH preparations or one of their excipients, high levels of FSH indicating primary gonadal failure, uncontrolled thyroid or adrenal dysfunction, sex hormone dependent tumors of the reproductive tract and accessory organs, and an organic intracranial lesion such as a pituitary tumor; and in women who exhibit abnormal uterine bleeding of undetermined origin, ovarian cyst or enlargement of undetermined origin and pregnancy. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Gonal-f®. The most common side effects in patients using Gonal-f® include headache, ovarian cysts, nausea and upper respiratory infections in women and in men, acne, breast pain and growth, and fatigue. Injection site reactions were also reported. Reports of multiple births have been associated with Gonal-f® treatment. For complete product details, see the full prescribing information.

For complete product details, please read the Prescribing Information offered below.


© EMD Serono, Inc. CIM Last Update 2008-09-16
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