Women and couples in Newfoundland and Labrador, whose only option to conceive a child is through fertility clinics, face a number of barriers in seeking treatments.

The PC MHA for Topsail-Paradise, Paul Dinn, says it’s a daunting process as there is a shortage of doctors in the province, and no in-vitro fertilization clinic.

Dinn says many women are without a doctor to start such an important process and the waitlist for doctors outside the province is long

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatments are available in the province, but Dinn says the waitlist can be one to two years and IUI does not work for everyone.

He says there needs to be more access to fertility treatments in the province as there are a lot of other financial barriers for women trying to go through the process.

He says fertility medications can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000. Travel and accommodations to visit out-of-province IVF clinics can add up quickly, especially when the procedure is available only at a moment’s notice, leading to higher airfare costs. Dinn says the procedure itself is $10,000 to $15,000.

Dinn says it’s an important service for those trying to start or grow their family, and that bringing the service to the province would be another way to increase the population, and keep young people in Newfoundland and Labrador.