Realizing the dream of parenthood

The sadness of infertile couples

For 3 years, Ms. Mai Trang (25 years old, Luong Son, Hoa Binh) has been living in a state of heavy and sad psychology. She and her husband have been married for 3 years but have no children. Looking at other families holding and playing with their children, Ms. Trang and her husband could not help but feel sorry for their fate. Anxious to have children, Ms. Trang and her husband went to the hospital for a check-up and found out that Ms. Trang had blocked fallopian tubes, could not have children naturally, and needed to intervene with in vitro fertilization. However, the cost was quite expensive, the family was in difficult circumstances, both husband and wife worked for hire, and did not have much savings. Her parents and siblings were all in difficult circumstances and could not borrow money. They had to find and buy herbal medicines to drink in the hope of curing the blocked fallopian tubes.

Time passed by and she still had no children. Her pressure increased when her mother-in-law glared at her every day and criticized her, saying, “A poisonous fruit does not bear fruit, a poisonous woman does not have children.” Not only that, every time there was a happy or sad event in the family, her mother-in-law declared to the relatives: “If after 4 years Trang does not give birth to a child for her husband, my son will remarry and find a son to continue the family line.” Every time that happened, her heart felt like it was being cut. She was in pain, and her husband sighed.

Mr. Do Viet, 37 years old (Tu Son, Bac Ninh) has also been longing to have a child for 7 years. When he went to the doctor, Mr. Viet learned that he had a chromosomal defect that made it difficult for him to have children. From a lively, confident person, Mr. Viet was mentally broken, insecure, and lived in torment "what did I do wrong?". When meeting friends, he was very scared when asked "why can't my husband and I have children?". Wanting to have a child, the couple borrowed money for treatment but were still unsuccessful.

The cases of Mai Trang and Do Viet are two of about 1 million infertile couples in Vietnam, accounting for 7.7% (according to the Ministry of Health). Of these, 50% of infertile couples are under 30 years old. About 30% of infertility cases are caused by the husband, 30% by the wife, 30% by both and 10% by unknown causes. The rate of secondary infertility (infertility after the first pregnancy) increases by 15 - 20% every year and accounts for more than 50% of infertile couples. Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest infertility rate in the world.

In its latest report on global infertility rates, the World Health Organization (WHO) pointed out that worldwide, an estimated 1 in 6 people are infertile at some point in their lives and about 17.5% of people are infertile throughout their lives. Infertility is the third most dangerous disease, after cancer and cardiovascular disease, in the 21st century.

Full of happiness.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Phuong - Director of Hanoi In Vitro Fertilization Center (IVF Center) said that the rate of infertility and sterility is increasing and getting younger. Many couples are only 24 - 25 years old, even 20 - 21 years old, have reproductive health problems leading to infertility.

In particular, the increase in infertility is due to many factors such as: increasing age of marriage and having children in both men and women; environmental pollution, increased food affecting sperm, eggs, reproductive system; climate change...

The rapidly increasing rate of infertility in Vietnam not only affects the population but also deeply affects the health and psychology of couples.

"Hope Fund" journey to find beloved child

In that context, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has become a popular and effective treatment for infertility cases. However, the high cost of treatment, especially for cases requiring multiple cycles, remains a major barrier that forces many couples to temporarily put aside their dream of becoming parents. Specifically, an IVF cycle can cost between 80 and 130 million VND, causing great financial pressure for many families, not to mention the cost of travel, accommodation, etc., making infertility treatment very expensive.

Understanding the pain and burden of couples who are longing to have children, IVF Center - Hanoi General Hospital launched "Hope Fund" as a commitment to accompany, support and spread love.

On April 15, 2025, the launching ceremony of the "Hope Fund" to share the economic burden and open up new hope for infertile couples on the journey to find their beloved children was organized by the IVF Center - Hanoi General Hospital in collaboration with Vietnam Family Magazine. The fund aims to help disadvantaged families access modern treatment without being hindered by costs, thereby shortening the distance in the journey to welcome their beloved children for infertile families.

Specifically, to practically accompany infertile couples, each month the "Hope Fund" will offer: 2 free IVF sessions each month - a priceless opportunity to help disadvantaged families continue their journey to find their beloved children. In addition, the "Hope Fund" also supports infertile couples with testing costs, embryo creation, embryo culture... even 100% support including travel expenses.

Happy couples who have realized their dream of parenthood.

At the ceremony, journalist Ho Minh Chien - Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Family Magazine emphasized: "The Hope Fund is not only a medical support initiative, but also a humanitarian act, showing deep concern for a disadvantaged group in society - those who silently seek the happiness of being parents".

Sharing about the Hope Fund, Master, Doctor Nguyen Duy Phuong - Director of the Hanoi IVF Center said: "Infertility treatment techniques are often very expensive. Understanding the difficulties and hardships of couples, we built the Fund to help couples in difficult circumstances access the best and most modern treatment techniques, so that in the shortest time, couples can welcome their beloved children home to their families."

The launch of the Hope Fund is an important milestone, demonstrating the continuous efforts of the medical team in the journey to support the infertility community - bringing faith, joy and a new future to thousands of families in Vietnam.

According to doctors, infertility can still be treated if detected early and modern, appropriate support and intervention methods are applied. Therefore, early examination is very important and necessary to increase the chances and realize the dream of becoming parents for couples.

Although the cost of infertility treatment in Vietnam is lower than in many other countries, it is still a burden for many families because it is not covered by insurance. Compared to average income, this is a large expense, requiring additional support policies such as reducing or sponsoring treatment costs. Financial support, expanding access to infertility treatments and raising social awareness not only help reduce economic and psychological pressure but also create conditions for couples to proactively choose the right path, balancing career and family.

In addition, authorities need to promote reproductive health education for young people from an early age, expand access to assisted reproductive technology, and raise awareness of men's role in family building.

Bao Chau

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/hien-thuc-hoa-giac-mo-lam-cha-me-post545851.html