Infertility trials can be a great way of getting the latest treatment or drugs more affordably than the regular rates. Make sure you do your homework so you don’t end up wasting your energy.
You can check on the Internet for organizations (like the Center for Human Reproduction) who need participants.
- To start off with you’ll have to qualify for the trials. For example they might be looking for Icelandic women married to Venezuelen men younger than themselves, who live in Australia and breed Persian cats. Make sure who is allowed to participate before you start filling in forms and getting your expectations up! Your doctor understands your situation best so check things with him or her as well.
- Make sure that you are aware of what the trial aims to find out. Some studies check treatments, which might help you while others are just trying to gather data in which case you won’t benefit directly from the research.
- How do the tests run? Some trials will use placebos, so you could not be receiving any real benefit from the trial yourself, but you’ll be helping the scientists to determine if the therapy really works. A placebo is when they hand out dummy medicine rather than medicine with the testable chemical in them to ensure that it is themedicine that is working, and not your optimistic thinking.
- Make sure you know what the cash outlay is, if any. Some trials are completely funded so you may not be required to pay anything more than your transport costs to and from the clinic. Every trial is different, so verify costs prior to getting involved.
- What are the possible hazards? Both you and your partner should know exactly what the risks are, if any, and choose whether you are willing to take the gamble. Know that there are no guarantees that the medication will work, but on the other hand, there is a chance that they could. You’ll have to decide for yourself.
Even though you might not benefit from a specific trial, your contribution will have benefitted other infertile couples. Do your research, make your choice, and go with it!
Here is more information on Infertility Cost. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Infertility.