In their daytime talk show, “FABLife,” models Chrissy Teigen and Tyra Banks aired an emotional segment discussing their battles with fertility. It’s a booming business, too, with couples paying thousands of dollars and companies also helping to foot the bill in some cases.
For instance, the average cost of in vitro fertilization for a cycle of treatment in the U.S. is $12,000 to $15,000, according to an online resource about fertility. Per the site:
On average, IVF cost of a basic IVF cycle in the U.S ranges from about $12,000 – $15,000. Although some insurance companies cover IVF, often they don’t. When looking into the cost of IVF you will find that costs will vary depending on an individual’s circumstance. Also, you will find that costs vary from one clinic to another. It is important to determine exactly what is included when you are given a quote for the cost of an IVF cycle.
WebMD also prices a treatment cycle at around the same costs, citing a $10,000 to $15,000 figure. USA Today reported that the first child to be conceived through assisted reproductive technology, or ART, was in 1981. The article added:
In terms of the number of people involved, the issue is significant. The CDC reports that about 12 percent of women of childbearing age have used infertility services and that 1.5 percent of all infants born in the U.S. are conceived using ART.
The CDC reports that in 2012, more than 65,000 live births in the U.S. resulted from ART, which generally refers to fertility treatments in which either eggs or embryos are handled. That number does not include artificial insemination, which experts believe results in far more births.
During the show’s segment, Teigen and Banks shared their stories, which People covered. “Every single time I sit down for an interview with anybody…I will say, just being two years into being married, the questions just come from all over,” Teigen, 29, said. “It’s kind of crazy because I can’t imagine being that nosy to be like, ‘So, when are the kids coming?’ because who knows what somebody’s going through.”
Banks, 41, meanwhile, added, “It’s so funny when I was 23 years old, I used to tell myself, ‘In three years, I’m going to have kids.’ Then I turned 24. ‘In three years, I’m going to have kids. She continued, “Every single year I kept saying that. And then after a while it’s like, ‘Okay, now I want to.’ And it’s not so easy.”
Here’s a list of companies that reportedly pay for in vitro fertilization, according to the International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination. The discussion brought up by Banks and Teigen comes as many companies are paying to freeze their workers’ eggs.