It's great to see that the Royal College of Nursing has come out to call for better access to IVF funding. Although infertility affects one in six of us, 70% of trusts are still not offering the three full cycles of treatment recommended.
In a policy briefing paper, the RCN also calls for an end to the access criteria some trusts have invented in order to ration treatment. There are clear guidelines on who should qualify, but some trusts have chosen to ignore these and to invent their own rules instead. The paper also says that nurses should use their knowledge of the huge psychological impact of infertility to help commissioners understand what is involved. There is far too little awareness of the way infertility affects the well-being of those who can't conceive, and if nurses were able to help commissioners to have a proper understanding of this, it would make a huge difference.
The briefing paper also makes the point that providing three full cycles of IVF funded by the NHS would reduce the temptation to go for multiple embryo transfers which can have health implications for mothers and babies. This would not only lead to a safer system, but would also save NHS funds.
You can see the RCN press release at www.rcn.org
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Monday, 14 December 2009
Christmas
It's the most difficult time of year when you're trying unsuccessfully to get conceive. It brings back memories of your own childhood - the smell of the tree, the rustle of the stocking at the end of the bed when you wake up in the morning - and the regret that you aren't able to recreate that for someone else. The things that everyone else loves about Christmas are the things that can make you feel so sad and isolated.
Perhaps the solution is to try to do something totally different at Christmas - go away for a few days or break the conventions and spend Christmas Day out on a long country walk or a cycle ride. Don't feel obliged to get involved in other people's celebrations just because you think you ought to. Take some time to think about what you'd really like to do - and that way you will find that you can enjoy Christmas too.
Perhaps the solution is to try to do something totally different at Christmas - go away for a few days or break the conventions and spend Christmas Day out on a long country walk or a cycle ride. Don't feel obliged to get involved in other people's celebrations just because you think you ought to. Take some time to think about what you'd really like to do - and that way you will find that you can enjoy Christmas too.
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Payment for egg donors
There's an interesting piece on the BBC News website about payment for egg donors which is being discussed by the HFEA. It's an issue that always causes controversy, raising fears about creating a market for the sale of body parts.
Donating eggs is a time-consuming and invasive business, a million miles away from donating sperm. There are shortages of altruistic donors, and many women now donate as part of egg-sharing schemes, where they get free or cheap fertility treatment in exchange for some of their eggs. This could be considered to be unethical, as sometimes these women are making the choice to donate eggs because it is the only way for them to ever have a child.
No one would want to see a situation where women are donating eggs purely to make money, but at the same time it is only fair that those who go through the process of egg donation are justly recompensed. We must also remember that eggs are not like other body parts as they are produced regularly.
Can payment ever be right? Will it encourage women who wouldn't ever choose to donate eggs voluntarily to do so for money? Is there an effective way of monitoring the system? What do you think?
Donating eggs is a time-consuming and invasive business, a million miles away from donating sperm. There are shortages of altruistic donors, and many women now donate as part of egg-sharing schemes, where they get free or cheap fertility treatment in exchange for some of their eggs. This could be considered to be unethical, as sometimes these women are making the choice to donate eggs because it is the only way for them to ever have a child.
No one would want to see a situation where women are donating eggs purely to make money, but at the same time it is only fair that those who go through the process of egg donation are justly recompensed. We must also remember that eggs are not like other body parts as they are produced regularly.
Can payment ever be right? Will it encourage women who wouldn't ever choose to donate eggs voluntarily to do so for money? Is there an effective way of monitoring the system? What do you think?
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
What is infertility?
Well if you weren't sure, the World Health Organisation has now come up with the latest definition - apparently infertility is a disease of the reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected intercourse.
Yes, I know it doesn't sound particularly interesting, but actually it may be very helpful. The idea that treating infertility is a lifestyle choice rather than a medical one is often used by people who don't agree with IVF or with NHS-funded treatment. Now we know that no less an authority that the WHO has declared that this argument doesn't hold water, as it defines infertility as a "disease".
It is also helpful to know that anyone who has been trying for a baby for more than a year without success should be taken seriously - all too often couples are fobbed off by doctors who tell them that they need to keep trying for a bit longer before it is worth doing any tests or considering any treatment. We now know that the WHO considers a year to be quite long enough.
The definition is part of a glossary of terms used in reproductive medicine that the WHO has produced - find out more here
Yes, I know it doesn't sound particularly interesting, but actually it may be very helpful. The idea that treating infertility is a lifestyle choice rather than a medical one is often used by people who don't agree with IVF or with NHS-funded treatment. Now we know that no less an authority that the WHO has declared that this argument doesn't hold water, as it defines infertility as a "disease".
It is also helpful to know that anyone who has been trying for a baby for more than a year without success should be taken seriously - all too often couples are fobbed off by doctors who tell them that they need to keep trying for a bit longer before it is worth doing any tests or considering any treatment. We now know that the WHO considers a year to be quite long enough.
The definition is part of a glossary of terms used in reproductive medicine that the WHO has produced - find out more here
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Going overseas
I've been to the Central London support group for Infertility Network UK tonight, talking about fertility treatment overseas. It's a subject that always generates so much interest, whether you're keen to travel for treatment yourself or are convinced that it is all some kind of dubious exploitative racket.
We did a survey for Infertility Network UK a while back on this very subject, and found that 3/4 of those who responded were interested in travelling overseas for fertility treatment. Of those who'd been abroad already, the vast majority had been really happy with the clinic and the treatment. However, there are always stories about dubious clinics and unethical practices which it can be impossible to prove, or to categorically deny.
The thing that emerged most clearly from the survey was the importance of thorough research - talk to people, check out as much as you can online, try to find others who have been to the same place. It does seem that if you choose the right place, treatment overseas can be a wholly positive experience, but if you jump in too quickly, you may find all kinds of problems you hadn't anticipated.
We did a survey for Infertility Network UK a while back on this very subject, and found that 3/4 of those who responded were interested in travelling overseas for fertility treatment. Of those who'd been abroad already, the vast majority had been really happy with the clinic and the treatment. However, there are always stories about dubious clinics and unethical practices which it can be impossible to prove, or to categorically deny.
The thing that emerged most clearly from the survey was the importance of thorough research - talk to people, check out as much as you can online, try to find others who have been to the same place. It does seem that if you choose the right place, treatment overseas can be a wholly positive experience, but if you jump in too quickly, you may find all kinds of problems you hadn't anticipated.
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Body clock testing
I've just been reading about yet another type of body clock testing - see this
It sounds like a great idea - take a simple test and see how late you can leave it to try to get pregnant. However, there are a number of problems.
For a start, this particular body clock test costs £350 - a tidy sum for a scan and some bloods... Perhaps you could justify shelling out that much if you were worried about your declining fertility and seeking some reassurance - but that's exactly where the second problem lies. The results could suggest that you're in tip top reproductive condition, nowhere near the menopause, and have some years to go. What they won't show is any other underlying fertility problems you may have, such as blocked fallopian tubes. You could risk delaying starting to try for a baby until it's too late for you - all because this test showed that your ovaries looked fine.
These tests also work on the premise that if there is a problem, you'll be able to freeze your eggs right away as an insurance policy against reproductive ageing. And that's the final issue. Egg freezing is still a relatively new science, and having eggs in the freezer doesn't guarantee a future pregnancy. It is expensive and is only worth doing if you understand the limitations and have no other options.
So, body clock testing may sound sensible - but should probably be taken with a large pinch of salt!
It sounds like a great idea - take a simple test and see how late you can leave it to try to get pregnant. However, there are a number of problems.
For a start, this particular body clock test costs £350 - a tidy sum for a scan and some bloods... Perhaps you could justify shelling out that much if you were worried about your declining fertility and seeking some reassurance - but that's exactly where the second problem lies. The results could suggest that you're in tip top reproductive condition, nowhere near the menopause, and have some years to go. What they won't show is any other underlying fertility problems you may have, such as blocked fallopian tubes. You could risk delaying starting to try for a baby until it's too late for you - all because this test showed that your ovaries looked fine.
These tests also work on the premise that if there is a problem, you'll be able to freeze your eggs right away as an insurance policy against reproductive ageing. And that's the final issue. Egg freezing is still a relatively new science, and having eggs in the freezer doesn't guarantee a future pregnancy. It is expensive and is only worth doing if you understand the limitations and have no other options.
So, body clock testing may sound sensible - but should probably be taken with a large pinch of salt!
Monday, 23 November 2009
Free IVF treatment...
Yes, it's true. The Lister Fertility Clinic in London is offering 21 free treatment cycles - and that's full cycles, to include the freezing, storage and transfer of any additional embryos.
If you are under 45 and need IVF treatment, you can apply for one of the 21 free cycles. They are being offered through the charity Infertility Network UK and you can find out how to access the scheme on the I N UK website
The free cycles will be allocated by a random lottery, so anyone who applies stands an equal chance. At the moment in the UK, women should be entitled to up the three cycles of NHS IVF treatment, but the reality is that access to treatment depends entirely on where you live, with some primary care trusts only offering one cycle of treatment and others inventing their own criteria to limit the amount of treatment offered.
The Lister officially opened a new state-of-the-art fertility clinic last week, and the clinic is planning to offer some free treatment cycles every year.
If you are under 45 and need IVF treatment, you can apply for one of the 21 free cycles. They are being offered through the charity Infertility Network UK and you can find out how to access the scheme on the I N UK website
The free cycles will be allocated by a random lottery, so anyone who applies stands an equal chance. At the moment in the UK, women should be entitled to up the three cycles of NHS IVF treatment, but the reality is that access to treatment depends entirely on where you live, with some primary care trusts only offering one cycle of treatment and others inventing their own criteria to limit the amount of treatment offered.
The Lister officially opened a new state-of-the-art fertility clinic last week, and the clinic is planning to offer some free treatment cycles every year.
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