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The latest annual report by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has just been released with some interesting findings. If you’re going through fertility struggles, you’re probably already aware of the pitfalls of IVF provision in the UK and the postcode lottery. Anyone who is struggling to conceive SHOULD be offered 3 cycles of IVF on the NHS. And whilst we’re super lucky to have the NHS, there is widespread variation in how available it is in each area means that the NICE guidelines for IVF are rarely met. Some of the most interesting stats to come out of this latest HFEA report are that only 1 in 4 cycles during 2022 were paid for by the NHS, a steep decline on the previously presented figure of 40% from 2012! When looking at the average age of those undergoing IVF, this has risen to 35.1, a 6 year increase on the average age of those who have given birth for the first time. Some of these figures relate to the aforementioned issues with the NHS, with funding being cut for IVF, delays from COVID and trouble with self-funding cycles. Whilst this report addresses UK fertility stats, there's further barriers to starting a family in the US, with even wider variations in health coverage. Here at OVUM we believe that anyone who wants to have children should be afforded the opportunity to do so. Some of the coverage of this report has suggested that women are leaving it too late and focusing on their careers instead. Perpetuating the narrative that infertility is a female problem. We call bullsh*t on this. Rather than blaming women or afab folks for having children later on in life, we need to address the barriers to starting a family instead. HFEA’s chair, Julia Chain, has also addressed this coverage, stating that HFEA “do not judge, blame or criticise those who are accessing treatment at any stage”, a much needed comment. Whilst families take many different forms, we need to move away from blaming women for figures such as these, as if men aren't involved in the conception process at all!

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