Watch: Tina And Emma Explain Why They Chose Spain Over Malta For IVF
Tina Zammit and her wife Emma Gatt warmed many hearts with the announcement that they are expecting a baby.
After receiving an outpouring of support, the duo decided to share some details of the process on their Instagram stories, including why they chose to travel all the way to Spain for IVF, rather than carrying out the procedure in Malta.
Tina said she really wanted to do it in Malta and praised the ART clinic’s staff.
However, the law doesn’t permit PGT testing, a process whereby embryos are screened for genetic abnormalities prior to implantation.
“This isn’t done in Malta for some ethical reasons,” she said, as Emma pointed out they wanted to make sure the selected embryos are the healthiest possible.
Tina’s age (40) placed her at higher risk and so, after receiving medical advice, they decided to do the procedure in Valencia.
This has been a topic of debate locally for years, and has proven controversial due to ethical questions about the status of the unselected unhealthy embryos.
In 2022, the government approved genetic testing but only for nine serious hereditary diseases.
However, Tina and Emma’s story shines a spotlight on how some couples still find the law too restrictive and are willing to fork out extra travelling costs rather than take the risk locally.
Should Malta update its IVF laws once again?