Who is Sandra Jovanovic?

“My life is in vitro fertilization”

Sandra Jovanović is a synonym for courage, persistence, and determination. When you search for “Sandra Jovanović” on Google, the suggested term that comes up is “in vitro fertilization.” Sandra Jovanović is synonymous with IVF in Serbia.

After 14 years, 14 IVF cycles, and 16 embryo transfers, following immense effort and perseverance, she finally welcomed her daughter Ljubica in 2021.

Professionally, she has been fully dedicated to fertility issues since 2012.

She is the author of extensive research on various infertility topics and the recipient of numerous awards and certificates for her work and contributions in the field of infertility.

Sandra’s professional life has been entirely devoted to in vitro fertilization for over 12 years.

Professional Portfolio

Current Status:

Founder and President of the IVF Center Association (since 2023).
Director of Premium Fertility Agency (since 2023).

Within the IVF Center Association, Sandra Jovanović is engaged in:

Addressing fertility issues in a broader sense.
Educating about rights and options regarding fertility.
Family planning and parenthood postponement.
Egg donation and surrogacy programs.
Organizing events (workshops, panels, conferences, webinars, various events).
Managing and leading the IVF Center.
Providing individual counseling for couples and individuals.
Writing articles for the Plodnost portal and magazine.
Communicating and improving collaboration with the association’s partners.
Public appearances and raising awareness about the importance of infertility treatment.
Fertility education.

Her goal is to ensure that everyone is fully informed about all the options modern times and contemporary medicine offer, empowering individuals to make the right, timely, and informed decisions based on their life circumstances.

Within the IVF Center, she has launched several new projects: IVF FORUM, Fertility Magazine, various workshops, support groups, fertility counseling, fertility-related events, and the innovative Family Planning for Employees project aimed at companies, along with many other initiatives.

Professional Achievements in the Field of (In)fertility

For over a decade, she has been dedicated to fertility and infertility issues, providing advisory, administrative, and emotional support to those facing fertility challenges.

Throughout her long career, she has been a key figure in numerous fertility-related projects:

Founder and long-time president of the Chance for Parenthood Association.
Initiator and editor-in-chief of Chance for Parenthood magazine.
Creator of the Assisted Reproduction Festival and former director of the IVF Center launched by the Ministry of Health and Nectar company.
Concept creator of an art exhibition on infertility and organizer of various workshops, panels, conferences, and fertility campaigns.

She maintains collaboration with institutions such as the Republic Health Insurance Fund, Demographic Council, Republic Expert Committee, Directorate for Biomedicine, IVF specialists, and other key institutions and individuals influencing the improvement of service quality and conditions in Serbia.

Key milestones:

Organized the first IVF panel in 2017, attended by hundreds of people, followed by ongoing awareness-raising events advocating for proper and funded fertility treatment.
Founded a support group for patients facing infertility challenges.
Launched a free psychological support program for couples and individuals facing infertility, in collaboration with the Dr. Laza Lazarević Psychiatric Hospital.
Speaker at the ESHRE Congress as a member of Fertility Europe, specializing in patient-specialist communication.
Co-organized the “(Un)natural Conception” conference with the Health Improvement Center.
Hosted the major international event Europe in Serbia in 2019, which gathered European associations, doctors, infertility specialists, patients, and journalists. The event was opened by then-Mayor Zoran Radojičić, who later allocated city funds for 100 IVF cycles for couples who did not meet the national insurance criteria.
Organized another fertility-focused conference in 2020.

Impact and Advocacy:

Through her direct influence and years of advocacy, Sandra Jovanović has played a significant role in improving infertility treatment conditions in Serbia. Between 2015 and 2021, her efforts contributed to:

Increasing the age limit for women eligible for IVF treatments multiple times.
Enabling the donation of reproductive cells.
Expanding treatment options for couples facing azoospermia.
Incorporating oncofertility treatments.
Allowing treatment coverage for a second child.
Encouraging multiple cities and municipalities to finance IVF treatments from their budgets.
Breaking the taboo surrounding infertility treatment in Serbia.

As a result, infertility treatment in Serbia has become widely accessible, with some of the best financial support conditions in Europe and beyond.

Sandra continues to advocate for:

Transparent success rate statistics for all IVF clinics in Serbia.
The introduction of a unified registry and higher quality, more transparent treatment processes.
Improved communication between doctors and patients.

She initiated a collaboration program between relevant IVF institutions and patients, providing various benefits and support options for those undergoing treatment.

Sandra actively worked on the implementation of the Law on Infertility Treatment and the creation of accompanying regulations to enable donation treatments in Serbia. She is thoroughly familiar with all administrative and legal aspects of infertility treatment and donation, both in Serbia and internationally.

Media Presence:

Over 500 appearances on television, radio, podcasts, conferences, and public panels.
More than 100 published articles on fertility across various platforms, with many translated into multiple languages.
Years of dedicated writing on fertility-related topics.

Authorship:

Author of the documentary film Journey to a Baby on infertility.
Creator of the art exhibition Infertility Hurts.
Author of the IVF Process Guide, a unique step-by-step manual.
Founder of the Assisted Reproduction Festival.
Creator of the IVF Forum.
Author of hundreds of articles on fertility and infertility.
Founder of a fertility magazine.
Creator of the podcast Truths About (In)Fertility.
Initiator of the National IVF Helpline, providing guidance and fertility-related information.
Founder of the IVF Center’s SOS Line.

Research Projects:

What is IVF?
Communication Between Infertility Specialists and Patients.
Satisfaction with Clinics in Serbia.
Satisfaction with Clinics Abroad.
Egg Donation: A Necessity or a Trend?

Management Experience:

Sandra worked as an IVF Manager at BioCell General Hospital, where she focused on patient education, support, operations management, public relations, clinic compliance with legal regulations, and cooperation with the Republic Health Insurance Fund.

Education:

Graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš, majoring in Serbian Language and Literature.
Currently pursuing postgraduate studies in Communication and Public Relations.
Graduated from Svetozar Marković Gymnasium in Niš.
Has lived and worked in Belgrade since 2005.
Speaks English fluently and has basic proficiency in French.

Previous Teaching Roles:

Serbian Language and Literature teacher at:
- Eighth Belgrade Gymnasium
- Seventh Belgrade Gymnasium
- First Belgrade Gymnasium
- Sveti Sava Elementary School
- Stefan Nemanja Gymnasium