IVF increasingly popular in UK

October 5, 2009 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News

The amount of registered clinics has increased, and IVF success rates continue to rise for women under the age of 42.

According to figures recently released by the U.K.’s fertility regulator, the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA), more women are undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), and the process is becoming more successful.

The report shows a 5.8% increase in the number of patients undergoing IVF in 2007 in comparison to 2006. Additionally, the data revealed that the number of IVF births was up 8.3% between 2006 and 2007.

A corresponding increase in the amount of licensed IVF clinics during 2007 seems to back up the HFEA’s claims. “Fertility treatment is big business in the U.K.,” stated Professor Lisa Jardine, chair of the HFEA. “People can spend thousands of pounds in the hope of having a baby.”

While the popularity of IVF spreads, its effectiveness has also apparently increased. For women up to the age of 42, there were measurable increases in the overall success rate of IVF treatment. However, rates fell for those aged 42 and over.

With the average age of women being treated slowly increasing from 33.6 to 35.2 (1991 to 2007), it seems that U.K. families are potentially waiting longer than ever to have children. In many ways, this has been made possible by IVF.

However, some experts caution that IVF is not some sort of magical fix for those who wait until it’s too late to conceive naturally. “Unfortunately, Nature doesn’t work like that,” said secretary of the British Fertility Society, Dr. Allan Pacey.

“Each time you have IVF as a young woman, there is a 25-30 per cent chance of success. But the odds don’t change in subsequent cycles- IVF is not the panacea that many women think it is.”

To give patients a better look at the figures involved with fertility clinics and their available treatments, the HFEA launched their new “Choose a Fertility Clinic” website on 1 October 2009.

“‘Choose a Fertility Clinic’ should be the starting point for anyone considering fertility treatment as it will help them understand their options, their chances of success and how to go about choosing the right clinic to meet their needs,” said Professor Jardine.

“Every patient is different and most clinics have live birth rates around the national average. These factors make it even more important for patients to see in detail what each clinic has to offer. “