PEI·NewPrince Edward Island is unlikely to ever have an IVF clinic, but there are ways to increase support services locally, advocates said during a presentation to a legislative standing committee Thursday. P.E.I. doesn’t have the population to support an IVF clinic, MLAs hearMarilee Devries · CBC News · Posted: Oct 22, 2025 7:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoStatistics Canada figures show that P.E.I. falls below the national fertility rate of 1.25 children per woman, with a rate of 1.1. (CBC)Prince Edward Island is unlikely to ever have an in-vitro fertilization clinic, but advocates say there are other ways to improve fertility services on the Island.That was the message advocates wanted to get across during a presentation at a legislative standing committee on Thursday.Stephanie Sullivan, a fertility advocate and clinical lead registered nurse at Health P.E.I.’s obstetrics and gynecology office, told MLAs that the province doesn’t have the population to support an IVF clinic, so people will have to continue to travel off-Island.But she said there are ways to support those experiencing fertility challenges.Sullivan said that starts with making it easier for patients to navigate the health-care system by creating a patient navigator position — someone who can guide people through the process of accessing fertility services.“Having patient navigation would be wonderful for these people so they could liaise with out-of-province services but also have local support,” she said. “The challenge is a lot of the time people are just referred off the Island and once that happens, that’s… the clinic that’s following them to support.”Sullivan said advocates would also like to see centralized local services, including access to bloodwork and ultrasounds, to reduce the burden of off-Island travel while still relying on out-of-province fertility clinics. “One patient… had traveled 14 times off the Island in 14 days,” she said.”There is this misunderstanding that… you might go to Halifax once or twice, but actually people that are undergoing IVF treatment go many trips off the Island, which is very disruptive to life and financially taxing.” Fertility advocates Ashlee London, left, and Stephanie Sullivan gave a briefing on primary health care for Islanders facing infertility to the standing committee on health and social development Wednesday. (Legislative Assembly of P.E.I.)Affordability is another challenge people face in their fertility journeys, the presenters said, noting that P.E.I. government funding for off-Island treatment isn’t enough to cover costs.The Fertility Treatment Program provides between $5,000 and $10,000 per year, based on family income, for expenses associated with in-vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination.“The fact that it’s an income-based program, like it’s still not fair, it’s still not equitable and it’s not enabling patients to seek treatment,” said Ashlee London, a fertility patient and advocate who leads the P.E.I. Fertility Support Group. “You still need to come up with… $10,000 to $15,000 out of your own pocket.”London said the highly personal and often emotional nature of fertility struggles can make advocacy a challenge because many choose not to speak publicly about their experiences.“We haven’t been able to be loud enough about it for it to get the attention that it deserves.”Other recommendations presented to MLAs include more education for both patients and primary care providers, and creating a steering committee to guide policy changes and service delivery.ABOUT THE AUTHORMarilee Devries is a journalist with CBC P.E.I. She has a journalism degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. She can be reached at marilee.devries@cbc.ca
Advocates call for more local services for Islanders facing fertility challenges
