When I founded Swiss Medical Travel on 4 November 2015, my goal was simple \u2013 to help Swiss women find affordable medical treatments abroad. Back then it was about many different areas, but it quickly became clear that my passion and my experience belonged with IVF treatment. I had gone through infertility myself, faced miscarriages, and discovered that in many countries abroad I received more support than in my home country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because I had worked as a tour guide, I was curious wherever I went. In every new country I visited, I would ask about clinics, prices, and how reproductive medicine was organised. Over the years I walked through the doors of more than a hundred clinics \u2013 and I even wrote my master\u2019s thesis on medical tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want this anniversary blog to be an honest reflection of what I have seen and learned. Ten years later I look back on a long journey through assisted reproduction in Europe. I learned that IVF abroad can feel intimidating because of fears around quality, aftercare and language. I realised that Spain is not the only option, and that laws, prices and access to fertility treatment differ widely across countries. I discovered how commission models influence advice, and why I decided to work independently. I saw how natural conception coaches with thousands of followers attract attention more easily than fertility clinics, while IVF requires transparency and trust. I understood how online platforms and rankings are often more about visibility than independence. I experienced how supporting egg donation or embryo donation meant exclusion from medical associations, even though many infertility patients rely on these treatments. I watched as big clinic chains expanded, while family-run centres with stable teams often offered more personal support. I learned how forums and social media groups can confuse more than they help, because one infertility story can never speak for all. I heard countless women share how hard it is to talk about taboo topics like gender selection, single motherhood or age-related fertility. And finally, I saw how missing standards, hidden costs and lack of aftercare remain a challenge in many clinics abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are the lessons learned from ten years of IVF clinics abroad. These lessons highlight how much has changed in human reproduction and assisted reproductive technology \u2013 but also how much work still lies ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n