I have contacted a clinic in Cyprus, and they say it is legal there. 

IVF Clinic in Famagusta Northern cyprus which can help with monitoring in liverpool (uk)

These post are so helpful, I'm trying to get as much info as poss. I wouldn't even have heard about HighTech without this site & I'd be feeling a lot less hopeful.

Thanks MarkyJo, that's cleared up a lot of confusion I had! & thanks to all the posters who've put info on, the more we can pool our knowledge the better.

desperatelyseekingpink:

Thanks Markyjo for making sense of the PGD family balancing minefield.  So essentially there is a choice between legal (North Cyprus for embryo transfer) and non legal route (having the embryo transfer in Turkey).- the legal route involving more expense and also alot more faff if treatment is started in Turkey ( I have two lovely boys).  Decisions ..........

 However if you decide to use a clinic in Istanbul for all of your treatment how do you know that they will fulfill their promise and carry out PGD  for FB, as strictly they would not be able to promise anything that is illegal?  Have people from this board been there and had no problem achieving PGD for FB (even if indirectly checking for chromosonal abnormalities) in Turkey without having to go to Cyprus.  My only worry is booking the treatment and then being told once there that 'I'm sorry Mrs ........ but we can't do PGD for FB because this isn't the policy at our clinic'.  That would make my heart sink.

 Thanks,

DSP

 P.S. This board is great! 

They will do it in Turkey for you.  There have been previous posts on this website that someone went to Jinemed and did get PGD for FB without any problems.  I just wonder whether they would take your money and then say you haven't enough good embryos of the sex you want to be able to put back inside - but then, that's the cynic in me, being a lawyer!  The trip to Cyprus is only about £200 extra and you can minimise travelling by asking to go direct back to UK from Cyprus.  It's what we are considering as we will also have two children.

merlinmoose:

These post are so helpful, I'm trying to get as much info as poss. I wouldn't even have heard about HighTech without this site & I'd be feeling a lot less hopeful.

Thanks MarkyJo, that's cleared up a lot of confusion I had! & thanks to all the posters who've put info on, the more we can pool our knowledge the better.

You're welcome

markyjo:

I just wonder whether they would take your money and then say you haven't enough good embryos of the sex you want to be able to put back inside

.......that worries me!.....but I'm guessing anywhere could do that and we would be none the wiser as we are just 'putty' in their hands as so to speak.  Why bother going to Istanbul then to Cyprus?..is it not better just to go directly to Cyprus?

markyjo:

I just wonder whether they would take your money and then say you haven't enough good embryos of the sex you want to be able to put back inside

Aaagh! No! - Surely not?! - Couldn't you sue or at least tell all future clients if they did that? I mean it wouldnt be good for buisness to do that would it?

Gender selection is not legal here in Turkey, I'm Turkish and know the laws. Laws in Turkey and North Cyprus might be diffrent, 'cause North Cyprus has a diffrent goverment. For example gambling-casinos are legal in North Cyprus but it's not in Turkey.

Thank You! it's great to have someone actually from Turkey. At least you havn't far to go if you want HighTech in Cyprus?!

I don't think it's technically legal in Czech. but they let you select the embies you have put back on medical screning grounds... Its all very confusing & not very concrete.. Unless I knew at least 1 person who'd succesfully been I wouldn't feel safe.

I think everyone is clear that GS is illegal in Turkey.  I think it is also true to say that the majority of European countries ban GS, regardless of whether or not they are in the EU.  Cyprus is our main legal option.

In response to OLA - going to Cyprus direct is an option - it still costs a couple of £k more than the Turkish option, even with the Turkish clinic sending you to Cyprus for part of the treatment.

As to whether we will be conned, as it were, well, I don't think we have a leg to stand on.  Doing some legal research, we are dealing with countries who are not even part of the European Union.  We don't have the legal back up using European law.  It's a case of just trusting them really and like MERLINMOOSE said, word could soon get around if they were less than professional in some way and that could ruin their reputation.  If you want legal back up in any way, then the expensive Rainsbury clinic in London would be your option with English contract law as a safety net.  I should think the contractual laws stand as Rainsbury are not doing anything illegal - they are sending you to a legal country for GS.  Without seeing the terms and conditions of the contract you sign up to, we can't say for sure whether Rainsbury has exclusion clauses for the actual work carried out by the Cyprus clinic on their behalf.  It is a difficult area of law - contracts don't need to be in writing.  There is common law to support this by use of previous case law.  There is also statute law and even if they do have exclusion clauses, given their involvement, you could argue that some clauses are unfair under the Unfair Contract Terms Act.  It's a minefield.  It's no good going into it in detail as we do not know what Rainsbury's terms and conditions are.  All I do know is that it can be difficult to sue in foreign countries not part of the EU - you would need to know that country's law. 

Anyway, we should be thinking positive that there are options for us. Other people have done it, no problems so why shouldn't we?!

I've just read that PGD is legal in Italy for family balacing. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/highlights/010313_pgd.shtml This was in 2001 though. Does anyone know if it's still legal? Also I seem to remember reading something somewhere about it being legal in Spain too. Does anyone know if this is the case?

I seem to remember it being illegal in Spain

GS is illegal in spain ( that was the first country I tried and got replies telling me it was so when I emailed. )

I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart that I don't think there would be an issue with going to the Jinemed in as much as them taking your money and not doing gender selection.

Even though I didn't go there because I wanted more experience for my husbands translocation for PGD and they had messed me around with the co ordination of splitting the treatment I know from others who have gone there for IVF/PGD for GS that they do it as promised.

They all like to have 6 or 7 embies to PGD because it gives you a better chance of success but if you are going there for GS then they will do PGD if you want it if you have less.

You must make your own minds up about the Turkey - Cyprus or just have it done at the Jinemed - personally I could not be bothered to go to another country and would stay there but I would reiterate that is just my personal opinion.

The other thing is I had heard ( but having not gone there I can't say so myself for certain ) is that you don't go to Cyprus - they just ask you to sign a form saying you do. Everyone I know who has been there for GS certainly has not gone to Cyprus that's for sure.

 However if that's a option and makes you feel comfortable about the whole matter then go for it I say!

Good luck everyone - Sorry not about much - dealing with my baby son who died coroners inquest which is coming up in September.

Take care love Karen xxx

 

Krazykatgirl:

The other thing is I had heard ( but having not gone there I can't say so myself for certain ) is that you don't go to Cyprus - they just ask you to sign a form saying you do. Everyone I know who has been there for GS certainly has not gone to Cyprus that's for sure.

 The IVF doctor from Jinemed I met in London said you can go to Cyprus for part of the treatment and Romina, the patient rep, said they arrange it for you at a cost of approximately £200 extra.  Ugur, another rep, will say you can stay in Turkey if you sign a form.

So there are choices for you and personally, I would go to Cyprus because, being a crown prosecution lawyer, I am not going to do anything illegal.  It's a very public job that I do and I am well known in the community, from the police, to other solicitors, to judges etc.  I always worry that things come out months, maybe years later and it would be the end of my career as the Law Society would take a very dim view of it!  So I made sure about the legalities when I met the doctor. But for those of you who lead a quieter life or don't mind signing forms etc, go for it.  Other people have done it.

Bottom line is, you have a choice and it's still cheaper than going direct to Cyprus and having all the treatment there.

Very sorry to hear about your loss Karen, I hope you're OK in Sept. we'll be thinking about you here

Krazykatgirl:

I know from others who have gone there for IVF/PGD for GS that they do it as promised.

-This is good!

Where has MarkyJo gone?