Egg Freezing & IVF in Sri Lanka

Still in its infancy, medical tourism in Sri Lanka is developing at the moment with good results. As of 2022, Sri Lanka has welcomed medical travellers from around the world, most especially from Seychelles and Maldives. The country's capital, Colombo, is the busiest location for medical tourism. According to a study on the potential of medical tourism in Sri Lanka, the country is doing well in attracting international patients based on the availability of transportation, accommodation, tourist destinations, and efficient medical professionals. However, more promotion and government support is needed to boost the industry.

What To Do in Sri Lanka During Your Medical Vacation

Once you have chosen Sri Lanka for your medical vacation, hit two birds with one stone by checking out its top tourist attractions. On the top of the list is the Dambulla cave temple, the largest temple complex in the country. Each of the five rooms in the temple has a Buddha statue from the 12th century AD. The next best destination is the Yala National Park. Here you can book safari drives, nature treks, or camp accommodations to see the wildlife and birds including elephants and leopards. For a taste of history and culture, make a stop at the ancient city of Polonnaruwa near Sigiriya and bike around the ruins.

The laws and customs of Sri Lanka are taken from a mix of colonial, English, Victorian, and Dutch influences. In this Buddhist country, observe temple etiquette such as removing your shoes before entering. Do not take photographs of temples unless you are given permission. Do not take funny photos with the Buddha because this may get you deported! Do not take pictures of government buildings.

Sri Lanka imposes punishments for homosexual activities. In 2022, the Supreme Court approved a bill that seeks to remove imprisonment and payment of fines for homosexuality. LGBTQ+ travellers must be discreet during their stay in Sri Lanka.

To take domestic flights, the main air travel provider is Cinnamon Air. To get around, buses are the most common mode of public transportation. When taking the bus, be prepared for the driver's abrupt braking and accelerating at frequent intervals. The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) buses are government-run and mostly have older vehicle bodies while some private buses are more comfortable with newer vehicle models. The fastest and most comfortable bus rides are those taken in air-conditioned luxury or express buses. Other transportation options are the train network, observation cars, tourist carriages, hiring a driven car, and motorised rickshaws.

The two official languages are Sinhala in the southern, western, and central areas and Tamil in the northern and eastern areas. There are many minority languages, including Veddah and Creole Malay. Sri Lankans learn British English as a second language in schools so medical tourists will find it easy to communicate with the locals.

Social Attitudes Towards Fertility Treatments

IVF treatment has been performed in the country since the late 1990s. Many of these early IVF procedures were availed of by the elite or private sector. The first IVF child was born in Sri Lanka in November 1999. Since then, it has become an IVF medical tourism destination for mostly those from the Maldives.

An article about the early days of IVF treatment in Sri Lanka stated that the public has expressed concerns about fertility treatments. Among concerns for the donor sperm procedure are donor matches, incest, paternity legality, liability in procedures, and the fear of HIV/AIDS transmission. Another concern was the "life" status of the embryos according to Catholic and Buddhist beliefs. Society also saw the lack of trained local embryologists so there was a huge demand for foreign embryologists. Lastly, there is an ongoing concern about the lack of ART regulations.

Today, there is a danger that Sri Lanka may be vulnerable to cross-border commercial surrogacy due to a lack of ART regulations. This is because Indian surrogates are now staying in Sri Lanka to avoid India's cross-border commercial surrogacy ban. A call for a legal framework to protect the rights of the child and all the parties in the surrogacy arrangement is stressed in a report on reproductive health care and policy concerns.