Are you considering in vitro fertlization (IVF) or other expensive fertility treatments? With the cost of even one rund of IVF running as high as $10,000-15,000 many couples are simply priced out of the market. Some of those couples are turning to travel to solve their fertility issues at a fraction of the cost.

One fertility clinic in Mumbai, India, offers one round of IVF for a mere $3,000. Even adding in the cost of drugs ($800 versus $1500 for the exact same drugs in the US) a $1,200 plan ticket, 10-14 days of hotel accomodations and freezing of any excess embryos, the total cost would be less than $7,000 for the same treatment offered in the US. Don't want to travel to India for the procedure? Consider Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom where government health care keeps costs down.

While the procedures are exactly the same, the costs vary widely due to many factors. Malpractice insurance in the US is very expensive. Doctors in the US are also free to charge what the market will bear without government interference. Finally, drugs are often offered much less expensively in other countries - even when they are produced by the same manufacturer.

Here are some things to consider if you are thinking about fertility tourism:

* Ask a lot of questions. Be sure you understand exactly what you are paying for and what the doctor or clinic's success rate is.

* Talk to others who have used the same clinic. Ask for references.

* Understand how treatments may differ. For instance, in the US, Australia, Canada and the UK, doctors are limited in the number of embryos they can transfer in one procedure. This limits the risk of multple births and the attendant risks to mother and babies when more than two babies are carried. Doctors in India are free to use their own judegement about the number of embryos they transfer. This can increase the cance of pregnancy in difficult cases, but it can also lead to the heartbreaking need to selectively reduce the number of embryos if more than two implant.

* Consider whether you are comfortable with foreign travel or travel to a particular destination. While the idea of a vacation is appealing, it can be really unpleasant to be far from home and possibly alone while you go through the emotional roller coaster of fertility drugs(you can bring frozen sperm with your for the procedure if your spouse can't travel).