Millions of babies around the world have been born via in vitro fertilization (IVF) since it was first introduced in 1978. IVF is the process in which eggs are removed from a woman’s ovaries and mixed with sperm in a laboratory culture dish. Fertilization then takes place in a dish, “in vitro”, which means “in glass”.

Thousands of children in Nigeria have now been born through IVF. A lot of myths and misconceptions surround IVF. A lot of people think that IVF is only for the rich and famous. While the average cost of one IVF cycle in Nigeria can cost from N700,000 upwards, some IVF clinics are able to offer discounts to couples based on financial need.

But because of the strong demand for IVF and its remarkable successes, some fertility practices have implemented sliding-scale payment plans or other financial arrangements to help overcome the economic burdens of treatment.