The 'infertility' alley in Saigon There is a special alley in HCM City where infertile couples throughout the country live to “seek” a child. Each multi-rice cooker is a fertile woman. This place is called “infertility” hamlet because it is the home to dozens of women from many provinces who come to cure infertility. It is close to Tu Du Hospital, the most famous address for infertile treatment in Vietnam.. Mrs. Tuyet, 30, from the northern province of Lai Chau went to Tu Du Hospital from June last year. Tuyet has been married for five years but she could not have a child. After several years of treatment, using both oriental and western medicine, she went to the Tu Du Hospital. The doctors diagnosed that she lacks estrogen so she cannot be pregnant. Tuyet decided to stay in Saigon for treatment by the embryo transplant method. Her husband went to the hospital several times to take sperm, while Tuyet has been here for over a month. Tuyet cried when doctors informed her of the failure the first time.  She wanted to return home immediately but other women in the same situation advised her to try again. She waited each day in hope and fear to wait for the day when doctors told her about the result. The second time she also failed, and decided to give up. The day she prepared to pack clothes, she heard about a woman who was pregnant after eight times of embryo transplant. Tuyet abandoned the idea of returning home. Happiness came as she was pregnant the third time. Her husband rushed to fly to Saigon. Tuyet, a teacher, gave up her job to stay in Saigon to wait for the baby. A room in the infertility hamlet. Tuyet shared a room with another woman, at the monthly rent of VND6 million ($300). There are many women like Tuyet who are living in inns here. They come from everywhere and they are alone here. The desire for having a child is the only reason help them forget about the lonely feeling. Mrs. Thu An, 42 years old, from the northern province of Thai Binh, looked very sad. She said she had been here for over two years and spent a lot of money but she could not have a child yet. She said her husband’s family had been waiting for a child for many years and she would only return home whenever she has a baby. For over two years, An’s husband visited his wife only once, to take sperm, because he has had to take care of his parents and his fields. An has kept hope. To earn more money, An cooks for other women in the hamlet. In the room next to An’s, Mr. Nguyen Dac Nam, 35, from the central province of Phu Yen was cooking. On the bed, his wife Mrs. Le Thi Yen, was reading a Buddhist prayer book. Yen has an embryo transplant so she had to stay on the bed. This couple have been married for four years and they cannot have a child because of the husband. Nam’s parents stated that they would cover the entire infertile treatment for the couple, even though they have to sell their house. At home, Yen was a fish trader while Nam was a fisherman. Since the day they left their hometown to Saigon for infertility treatment, Nam has been doing the housework for his wife. The responsibility of having a child to maintain the family line is a big rock on the shoulders of this couple and it has indirectly affected the conception of Nam’s wife, doctor said. Billion-dong children The rent in the infertility alley is not cheap. One room with two beds is priced from VND6 to VND7 million ($300-350)/month, not including utilities and living expenses. The landlord rents the whole room and the first renter must find someone else, otherwise she would have to pay for the whole room. Besides these expenses, the women have to pay for the treatment process. To have a child, many women pay a billion dong and spend several years living in this hamlet. Some women have been here for years but they have never been able to get pregnant. According to the latest and largest epidemiological study by the Ministry of Health, in Vietnam, 7.7% of the couples are infertile, equal to about one million infertile couples. CSTC