South Africans desperate to conceive are demanding that the country's largest medical aid scheme cover infertility treatment.In an open letter to Discovery Health Medical Scheme, the Infertility Awareness Association of South Africa accused it of discriminating against an entire disease."One in six couples are forced to suffer in silence because their private medical scheme does not offer any treatment cover for one of the most common diseases in this age group," the association wrote.It said Discovery did not cover in vitro fertilisation and intrauterine insemination for a recognised disease that is also a prescribed minimum-benefit disease."Infertility is a life-shattering diagnosis for many couples and these couples currently receive assistance from Discovery Health only in the form of diagnosis."The association said Discovery covered the diagnostic assessments for infertility but did not offer any cover for the actual treatment outside of a member's savings account.Southern African Society for Reproductive Medicine president Dr Paul le Roux said about 6000 in vitro fertilisation treatments, costing an average of R40000, were done in South Africa each year."It is unfair to exclude fertility treatment from a patient's medical cover. There is no ethical justification for this," Le Roux said.He said the global trend was for medical insurers to pay a portion towards a patient's fertility treatment or pay for a limited number of in vitro fertilisation treatments.Discovery Health Medical Scheme principal officer Milton Streak said the medical scheme was aware of the challenges facing families confronting infertility."The scheme has a responsibility to balance the various healthcare needs of its members with ensuring that premiums remain affordable in the long term and, unfortunately, like all other medical schemes, it simply cannot afford to meet all demands at all times."..