The HFEA debate

I was really sorry to have to miss the recent debate organised by Progress Educational Trust on the future of the HFEA, and so was pleased to find a write up of the evening in this week's edition of Bionews.  It was clearly a lively and interesting debate - it may only be a snapshot view but it's interesting that those working in fertility clinics seemed keenest to be rid of the HFEA, while those on the outside were keener for it to remain.  I'd be the first to agree that streamlining and change are both necessary, but it's far too easy to focus on the negatives and to forget all of the good work that the HFEA has done and continues to do.

One of the speakers apparently claimed that people were travelling overseas for treatment because of over-regulation by the HFEA in the UK.  Having spoken to many people who've opted to have treatment abroad, I can't remember hearing one of them mention "over-regulation" as an issue - excessive costs and waiting lists were more likely to come up as reasons for having treatment abroad, as well as higher success rates in some other places and being treated as an equal by consultants.

Sadly the one thing that wasn't mentioned in the reporting of the evening was patient information, and I don't know whether this cropped up at all.  For most fertility patients, information provision is one of the most important functions of the HFEA.  It's the publication of success rates, the reliable information about new treatments and the calm response to fertility scare stories that is so vital - and yet it seems to be the one thing that most of the experts discussing this seem to entirely overlook.

Laboratory-made eggs and sperm

It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but medical advances mean that we could soon be able to create viable human eggs and sperm in the laboratory. In fact, it is such a realistic prospect that Progress Educational Trust held an open meeting to discuss the issues it raises.

There's something about the way we think of sperm and eggs that is very different to the way we might think about other human cells, and we're many ethical debates away from a world where lab-made gametes will be used routinely in fertility clinics. However, there are undoubtedly people who could be helped by these developments, such as women who have had an early menopause or same sex couples who would be be able to have their own genetic child,

Anyone who wants to know more about this may be interested in reading a summary of the Progress Educational Trust meeting held in Newcastle just a few weeks ago here