International adoption: requirement that couple sign an affidavit of no ongoing infertility treatments?

Question

Some/all agencies require prospective adopters to swear that they are not undergoing fertility treatments. What are considered "infertility treatments?" On one end of the spectrum, there are conceivably things like, say, taking prenatal vitamins and using a Clearblue monitor. On the other, surgical options/IVF. With a lot of grey area in between.

Which of these must be declared? Do all agencies require an affidavit?

I ask because if husband and I wait to start the adoption process after exhausting some of the less aggressive treatments, we will not meet the age/marriage requirements from most of the countries with established programs. I guess my bottom line question is, faced with a narrow window of opportunity, must we select one option to the exclusion of the other? We have no kids, and if we were blessed to have a family with both conceived & adopted kids, we'd consider it a super double bonus.

Many thanks in advance.

Answer 1

No, not all adoption agencies require this.  However, getting pregnant during the adoption process could disrupt the adoption in some programs.  I believe the agencies which require this affidavit are just trying to protect their clients from much heartache and the loss of thousands of dollars...and more importantly, the loss of a child.

Taking prenatal vitamins and monitoring your cycle is NOT treatment for infertility.  Seeing an infertility specialist for tests and treatments such as fertility drugs and procedures are.  I believe THAT is what you would have to declare, not just the vitamins and that you keep track of your cycle.

Please be very careful if you continue to TTC while in the process of adoption.  Again, in some countries getting pregnant can disrupt your adoption process.  Many parents are already in love with their "child" before they even meet much less before the adoption is finalized.

Answer 2

Other answerers are correct -- many adoption agencies and/or countries will not require this affadavit, but if they do, they definitely mean infertility treatments which require a Dr.'s intervention. You certainly can continue taking prenatal vitamins, charting, taking BBT's, using a clearblue monitor -- monitoring your cycle & taking vitamins are NOT infertility treatments. Taking perscription meds (pills or shots) is the start of infertility treatments, and procedures such as IUI, IVF, etc. would be infertility treatments.

Frankly, I've known women who got pregnant while in the adoption process, and since it takes so long, they didn't even declare it to their agency. I can't recommend this course of action, but you really do have the freedom to pursue having a child of your dreams. One of the reasons that agencies want you to be done with fertility treatments is that they take a HUGE emotional toll of you, and so do adoption proceedings. I'm not sure I could handle both of these things at once. Also, they want to be sure that you've dealt with any infertility issues, psycologically and relationally, so that you're ready to commit your emotional energy to the adoption process.

Good luck!

Answer 3

This stipulation is the same for domestic adoption as well. The reason is clear............they want you be be totally focused on your adoption decision, not going through the emotional and physical experiences of fertility treatments, plus, the fact that if you conceive, with the adoption process started, time spent by social workers, agency workers, etc., not a fair choice.  They want what is absolutely best for that baby/child, not the slightest chance of "being secondary".....

With that said, you stated that you have some "age" issues. My advice is to reconsider your choice in international adoption, and possibly look in to domestic.  I was 42 when we began our process, and our placement occured within a year and a month.  

Do one thing.............make your decision............be very clear.  Once you choose adoption, be fully dedicated to it, that child deserves that.

Answer 4

It's wrong for them to do that, controlling people's fertility, but I do know someone in real life that did conceive with a different man's sperm- infertility tx on the first child, they adopted the second child, and they had a natural pregnancy with the third child with her spouse.

Answer 5

It usually means actual intervention by a doctor. So drugs like Clomid, IUI, IVF, etc. are "treatments". Taking vitamins and monitoring ovulation are not medical interventions in my opinion.

Not all agencies make you sign this, we didn't have to. They just wanted to know how we felt about our infertility, failed treatments, and how we feel about adoption, and what would we do if we miraculously got pregnant during the adoption process. They don't want adoptions disrupted. They also didn't want us to be "settling" for "second best" with adoption, or to have unreasonable expectations that adoption could cure unresolved grief or depression about infertility. Does that make sense?.

Answer 6

Trying to get pregnant in any way outher than not useing birth controll .You shuld check into outher agencys before chooseing one that states you can not be trying to get pregnant.Some of theim will cancle an adoption if you do get pregnant.Choose an agency that dosent stuplate age restrictions,marrege restrictions or religious restrictions and youll be ok.Also indapendant adoption cuts out a lot of red tape that agencys impose and as well is cost afective.

Answer 7

I would say that anything that required you to see a doctor would need to be declared. Things like ovulation and prenatal vitamins would not count.

Some countries (like China) require that if a woman gets pregnant the couple must tell their agency and their dossier will be put on hold until after the birth of their bio child before being matched with an adoptive child.

Adopting a child is stressful to say the least. Taking care of a new born is stressful as well. Doing both at the same time is insane to say the least but there are people who have done it.

The adoption agencies are also rated by foreign countries using a number of criteria. One of those criteria for keeping in good standing with the foreign adoption affairs departments is to have a very low number of disruptions which would include the number of dossiers pulled after submission. In the event a couple became pregnant after sending their paper work to the foreign county the agency would be required to notify the country that you were pregnant and to pull that paperwork until after the birth.

At least with China, you could get pregnant, give birth and the child be a year old before you even got your referral with the growing wait times.