Some couples are unable to have children. Both men and women can have problems making it difficult to have children.
If you and your partner have tried to conceive a child for at least one year without succeeding, you can get help to find out why. The first thing you need to do is to contact your general practitioner.
In Norway, fertility treatment is available to married couples and couples living in steady relationships; both couples consisting of a man and a woman and couples with two women.
Types of fertility treatment
There are various medical treatment options available to treat infertility. Only specially trained doctors are permitted to carry out fertility treatment.
If you are not married, you will only get help with fertility treatment if
- you are living together in a steady relationship;
- it is certain that the partner who will not carry the baby will accept parental responsibility of the child.
Fertility treatment is normally carried out with the sperm of the (male) partner.
If
- your partner does not have enough sperm,
- or the fertility treatment is not working with your partner's sperm, or
- a lesbian couple (woman and woman) want to have a child,
another man's sperm can be used.
Discussion and advice
Costs
Costs of examining the causes of infertility
Firstly, the doctor examines why a couple is unable to have children. The couple will have to pay normal consultation fees for this examinations and tests, costs exceeding these are covered by the National Insurance Scheme.
Costs of fertility treatment
The doctor decides which type of fertility treatment is best based on the examinations and tests. Sometimes, the doctor can prescribe the couple medicines to help.
The National Insurance Scheme covers these treatments:
- hormonal therapy;
- insemination;
- conception outside the womb (IVF treatment and ICSI treatment);
- genetic testing of the embryo before it is implanted in the womb.
You will have fill out an application to get a refund for your expenses.
When the couple is referred by a specialist doctor, and have been granted treatment, they can get up to three trials covered per child.
