If you or someone you know (a friend or member of your family) work for or previously worked in the public sector then you may want to consider joining The Benenden Healthcare Society, a mutual society which has charitable status and provides healthcare to public sector employees. Unlike private health schemes, the Society is only open to those who work in certain fields, and costs just £1.50 membership a week. Those eligible include people who work for the civil service, armed forces, post office, registered charities, BT, local authorities, in state education, for the emergency services and the NHS.
Benenden Hospital in Kent is a subsidiary of the society and has charitable trust status. It provides healthcare for members of the trust. Originally founded in 1907 to treat postal workers with TB, today it provides care for a most medical and surgical specialities including infertility. Although IVF treatment cannot be offered free, it is subsidised and members who have been with the society for six months or more qualify for IVF at reduced cost.
Friday, 23 July 2010
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
More to Life Day - March 2011
For anyone who has imagined that they will have a family, contemplating a future without children can seem a bleak and lonely prospect. More to Life is a charity offering help and support to anyone who is involuntarily childless, whatever their path to that point may have been. Next year will see the first ever More to Life day, with speakers, information, advice and support on hand for an afternoon in Central London. The date has been set for March 19 2011 and we are now putting together a programme of speakers. You can find out about More to Life at www.moretolife.co.uk
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Callling London ACeBabes!
Did you know that there is a special group for families who had to have help to have children? ACeBabes is for anyone who has experienced fertility problems and went on to get pregnant. It provides help and support during pregnancy and for parents- and also offers a great opportunity to meet others who have had a long path to becoming parents.
I'm organising an ACeBabes picnic in Greenwich Park in August for anyone who is pregnant after fertility problems or those who have been successful and their families. Do come along and join me and my own ACeBabes - details can be found here.
I'm organising an ACeBabes picnic in Greenwich Park in August for anyone who is pregnant after fertility problems or those who have been successful and their families. Do come along and join me and my own ACeBabes - details can be found here.
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Endometriosis
It's a condition that is not often discussed despite the fact that it is thought to affect 176 million women around the world. Endometriosis occurs when cells which are like the spongy womb lining grow elsewhere, usually in the pelvic cavity. It can be very painful, can lead to heavy or irregular periods and may affect fertility.
Now, the first ever global study of the impact of endometriosis on society has been carried out, and has discovered that women who have endometriosis often have such severe symptoms that it affects their work productivity. The study looked at more than a thousand women from five continents and found that the impact of endometriosis was greater than expected. It impaired life quality in many areas ranging from housework to studying and exercising.
Another alarming fact thrown up by the research was the amount of time it took to get a diagnosis - often a wait of seven years from first seeing a doctor about symptoms to being diagnosed!
It is hoped that this study will help raise awareness of endometriosis and highlight the need for research into finding better treatments - you can read more about the study at www.eshre.eu
Now, the first ever global study of the impact of endometriosis on society has been carried out, and has discovered that women who have endometriosis often have such severe symptoms that it affects their work productivity. The study looked at more than a thousand women from five continents and found that the impact of endometriosis was greater than expected. It impaired life quality in many areas ranging from housework to studying and exercising.
Another alarming fact thrown up by the research was the amount of time it took to get a diagnosis - often a wait of seven years from first seeing a doctor about symptoms to being diagnosed!
It is hoped that this study will help raise awareness of endometriosis and highlight the need for research into finding better treatments - you can read more about the study at www.eshre.eu
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Why freeze eggs
Why do some women choose to freeze their eggs for the future rather than get pregnant sooner? Two new studies have looked into the reasons behind this, and although one which questioned younger women found that they'd rather focus on their careers, the other discovered that it's the lack of a partner that drives women to make the decision when they are older.
We tend to assume that women who have children later do so because they are too busy furthering their careers when they are younger, but in fact most of the women I've spoken to who were trying to get pregnant in their late thirties and early forties are adamant that this isn't the case. For them, it was a matter of waiting for the right partner - so it's not surprising that the idea of egg freezing seems attractive.
In fact, freezing eggs is not a guaranteed insurance policy. The technology is still quite new, and it's an invasive and expensive business. Women have to go through most of an IVF cycle in order to harvest a crop of eggs, and it can take two or three goes to ensure there are sufficient eggs to freeze. If women leave it until their late thirties to decide to freeze their eggs, the chances of success will have diminished as egg quality will have begun to decline.
The studies on egg freezing were presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Rome and you can read more about them at www.eshre.eu
We tend to assume that women who have children later do so because they are too busy furthering their careers when they are younger, but in fact most of the women I've spoken to who were trying to get pregnant in their late thirties and early forties are adamant that this isn't the case. For them, it was a matter of waiting for the right partner - so it's not surprising that the idea of egg freezing seems attractive.
In fact, freezing eggs is not a guaranteed insurance policy. The technology is still quite new, and it's an invasive and expensive business. Women have to go through most of an IVF cycle in order to harvest a crop of eggs, and it can take two or three goes to ensure there are sufficient eggs to freeze. If women leave it until their late thirties to decide to freeze their eggs, the chances of success will have diminished as egg quality will have begun to decline.
The studies on egg freezing were presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Rome and you can read more about them at www.eshre.eu
Fertility support
I've been facilitating a number of support groups in the last few months, and have also attended some too, and at the end of every meeting I go to, I am more convinced that meeting other people in the flesh is hugely helpful to anyone experiencing fertility problems.
Online support has grown so much in recent years that most clinics have completely given up on the idea of providing a support group for patients - with one or two notable exceptions! It's a great shame, as although patients want good success rates, they also want to feel supported. Too often, patients come to the group with stories of insensitivity and lack of understanding from clinic staff. It's a great shame, as these same staff are often working flat out to improve the clinic and the treatment in every way that they can, but the little things can easily get forgotten.
Chatting to someone else online can be helpful, but actually meeting someone and talking to them is a far richer experience, and can be far more rewarding. I've yet to meet anyone who went to a support group and left concluding it wasn't for them. Once you take the plunge, you may be surprised at how much you get out of it.
Details of support groups meeting in England can be found at www.infertilitynetworkuk.com
Online support has grown so much in recent years that most clinics have completely given up on the idea of providing a support group for patients - with one or two notable exceptions! It's a great shame, as although patients want good success rates, they also want to feel supported. Too often, patients come to the group with stories of insensitivity and lack of understanding from clinic staff. It's a great shame, as these same staff are often working flat out to improve the clinic and the treatment in every way that they can, but the little things can easily get forgotten.
Chatting to someone else online can be helpful, but actually meeting someone and talking to them is a far richer experience, and can be far more rewarding. I've yet to meet anyone who went to a support group and left concluding it wasn't for them. Once you take the plunge, you may be surprised at how much you get out of it.
Details of support groups meeting in England can be found at www.infertilitynetworkuk.com
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Advance testing for menopause
Researchers have found that they can accurately predict the age at which women will reach the menopause - giving women a clearer idea about their reproductive future.
The team from Tehran tested the levels of Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) which controls the development of the follicles in the ovaries. AMH has been used as a test of ovarian reserve, or the number of eggs likely to remain in the ovaries, for some time. In this new test, blood samples were taken every three years and looked at in conjunction with information about a woman's reproductive history. The women were also given a three-yearly physical examination. 266 women were involved in the study, and the researchers predicted their menopause very accurately - on average they were just a third of a year out. More research is now needed to see if the findings can be replicated in a larger group.
The research is particularly useful for women who want to plan when to start a family, but it is vital to remember that having a later menopause does not guarantee your fertility until that point. Women are less and less fertile for years before they reach the menopause, and there are many other problems that can cause infertility. However, any new research in this field is very welcome and will undoubtedly help many women.
A press release about the research can be found at www.eshre.eu
The team from Tehran tested the levels of Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) which controls the development of the follicles in the ovaries. AMH has been used as a test of ovarian reserve, or the number of eggs likely to remain in the ovaries, for some time. In this new test, blood samples were taken every three years and looked at in conjunction with information about a woman's reproductive history. The women were also given a three-yearly physical examination. 266 women were involved in the study, and the researchers predicted their menopause very accurately - on average they were just a third of a year out. More research is now needed to see if the findings can be replicated in a larger group.
The research is particularly useful for women who want to plan when to start a family, but it is vital to remember that having a later menopause does not guarantee your fertility until that point. Women are less and less fertile for years before they reach the menopause, and there are many other problems that can cause infertility. However, any new research in this field is very welcome and will undoubtedly help many women.
A press release about the research can be found at www.eshre.eu
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