Accessing Fertility Care: A Candid Consult

Q: How has fertility care adapted to comply with recent guidelines? 

A: With fertility treatment and testing back in full swing, we’ve implemented many safety precautions to ensure the well-being of our patients. It’s important to us that our patients feel confident in their care and do not have another reason to stress during an already difficult time. Our offices do the following:

• Every patient completes a COVID-19 screening questionnaire
• Temperature checks are completed upon arrival for patients (and staff)
• Confirm there have been no recent exposures or travel to high risk areas
• Masks are required for both staff and patients

Additionally, our team is frequently sanitizing commonly used surfaces and we have adjusted our schedule to limit the number of patients and guests in the waiting room at a time to maintain social distancing. We even give the option for patients to wait for their appointment in their car and we can send a text when the provider is ready. We hope that the precautions we are taking provide our patients with the reassurance that we are doing everything possible to help them remain safe and healthy.

Q: Is it safe to seek fertility treatment during the pandemic?

A: With the appropriate safety measures put in place, we’re able to safely provide the fertility care you deserve. At this time, it seems that COVID-19 will be in our area for quite some time. We understand that for many patients, putting your family building dreams on hold any longer is not an option, which is why we remain committed to providing fertility treatment.

Q: Are all fertility treatments and services available?

A: We have resumed all fertility testing and treatments, including IVF. We are offering telemedicine for new patient appointments and consultations to provide lower risk situations for patients whenever we can. In-person appointments are necessary for treatment cycle monitoring and ultrasounds.

Q: Will beginning treatment during the pandemic impact my timeline for pregnancy?

A: At this time, we are able to proceed with all treatment options without delaying your timeline toward pregnancy. Our offices are fully staffed with access to the necessary labs and surgical facilities.

Q: Are there options for women who want to delay pregnancy during this time?

A: Absolutely. If a woman or a couple decides that they wish to delay conceiving, there is the option of either freezing eggs or embryos for future use. Having the peace of mind of knowing there will not be an impact of current egg quality can be comforting. Those interested in egg or embryo freezing undergo an IVF treatment cycle which stimulates the ovaries and retrieves eggs. The eggs can either be frozen on their own or fertilized with sperm to form embryos which can also be safely cryopreserved for later use.