Some couples are unable to have children. Both men and women can have problems with fertility.
If you and your partner are unable to have children, you are entitled in Germany to get help from a doctor or a counselling centre.
In Germany, fertility treatment is available to married couples (men and women), unmarried couples (men and women) and lesbian couples (women and 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 the couple is unmarried, the doctor will often only carry out the fertility treatment if
- the man and woman are living together in a steady relationship;
- it is certain that the man will acknowledge that he is the father of the child.
Fertility treatment is normally carried out with the sperm of the husband or 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 costs for this examination are covered by the health insurance providers.
Costs of fertility treatment
The doctor decides after a test which type of fertility treatment is most sensible.
Sometimes, the doctor can also prescribe the couple medicines to help.
The treatments covered can vary greatly between different health insurance providers. You are best to ask your health insurance provider directly about how much they will pay and what is covered.
Additional funds
In some states, you can receive state funding for fertility treatment. You can find further information on this at the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.
