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Original poster

Should IVF be available to lesbians?

520 replies

TooBigForMyBoots · 15/03/2023 19:25

And single women? Or should assisted conception only be for infertile women in heterosexual relationships?

OP posts:
EndlessTea · 15/03/2023 21:03

MolkosTeenageAngst · 15/03/2023 21:02

Single women and lesbians should have the same access to fertility treatment as heterosexual couples and should have the same treatments funded by the NHS.

Where does the sperm come from?

MajorCarolDanvers · 15/03/2023 21:02

Yes to both

MolkosTeenageAngst · 15/03/2023 21:02

Single women and lesbians should have the same access to fertility treatment as heterosexual couples and should have the same treatments funded by the NHS.

eatdrinkandbemerry · 15/03/2023 21:02

It should be available and funded.

chaosmaker · 15/03/2023 21:01

Kendodd · 15/03/2023 20:32

On a tangent, having a child is not a right and should not be viewed as a right.

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Also this.

AnuSTart · 15/03/2023 21:00

Children are NOT a right.

AnuSTart · 15/03/2023 21:00

Available to all. Paid by NHS for no one.

Eyerollcentral · 15/03/2023 20:57

lemons44 · 15/03/2023 20:53

@Kendodd do you have children?

What’s that to do with anything? Do you think people do have the right to have a child? They don’t.

TinselAngel · 15/03/2023 20:56

TooBigForMyBoots · 15/03/2023 20:09

I personally think that assisted conception should be available to women. Including single women and lesbians.

I ask because of some posts I've seen recently objecting to it. The reason given was that if lesbians can access help to conceive it would pave the way for more gay men to use surrogates.

God this is getting tedious. That's not what I said. I said that if you argue for anybody having a "right" to children, (eg by saying lesbians have a right to IVF because it's the only way they can conceive and therefore is necessary for "equality") then you need to think through the consequences of your argument. In particular, to be consistent you'd have to argue gay men also have a right to children which will involve increased use of surrogates. You then have to wonder where the surrogates will come from to fulfil that right and of the detrimental effect this would be likely to have on women.

StrandedStarfish · 15/03/2023 20:54

Yes.

lemons44 · 15/03/2023 20:53

@Kendodd do you have children?

chaosmaker · 15/03/2023 20:52

On an overpopulated planet it shouldn't be available to anybody.

BiologicalKitty · 15/03/2023 20:49

Kendodd · 15/03/2023 20:32

On a tangent, having a child is not a right and should not be viewed as a right.

Show quote history

This.

RethinkingLife · 15/03/2023 20:49

I think OP is addressing aspects of reproductive justice.

There are advocates of reproductive justice who argue that the NHS should provide, say:

  • a surrogate for gay men who wish for a child
  • support for lesbians (irrespective of fertility status)
  • support for trans gender people (e.g., transmen who may need surrogate assistance; people who may wish to preserve gametes before affirming medical/surgical intervention).
Myaiminlife · 15/03/2023 20:44

ÉireannachÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ · 15/03/2023 20:43

I am of the opinion that ivf is morally objectionable and shouldn't be available to anybody.

Why do think it is morally objectionable? Do you think any assistance to conceive is morally wrong or just IVF?

ÉireannachÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ · 15/03/2023 20:43

I am of the opinion that ivf is morally objectionable and shouldn't be available to anybody.

Eyerollcentral · 15/03/2023 20:42

Emanresu9 · 15/03/2023 20:05

Available - yes

Funded by NHS - no (that goes for everyone)

Agree. I have been absolutely castigated for saying so irl but I don’t think the NHS should be funding any fertility treatment for anyone.

Holidaymoo · 15/03/2023 20:37

IUI and IVF is fully funded for lesbian couples in Scotland but not for single women.

MrsTerryPratchett · 15/03/2023 20:36

I think it's an interesting question.

If it's on the NHS as 'treatment for infertility' ie a medical condition, then being single or lesbian isn't that. And expensive 'treatment' for something that isn't a medical condition seems a waste. The NHS can't treat everyone for everything painful and limiting as it is.

BUT if it's about giving everyone the same chance to conceive then of course you'd offer it to single women and lesbians.

BUT men don't have uteruses. Therefore if you're giving everyone the same chance to conceive, you have to look at surrogacy, which is abhorrent as far as I'm concerned, and certainly shouldn't be on the NHS.

It's a pickle. Medical ethics experts apply here.

Beautiful3 · 15/03/2023 20:34

No.

Rockingcloggs · 15/03/2023 20:32

Available - yes

Available on the NHS without a medical need no.

I speak as someone who couldn't get funding on the NHS because i was 'too young', despite both me and my husband having multiple medical issues. I spent a fortune on IVF and unless the guidelines change for everyone, to allow a level playing field as opposed to different rules for each PCT then, for me, unless a medical need is present then it cannot be fair.

Kendodd · 15/03/2023 20:32

IBroughtTheBunny · 15/03/2023 20:14

I’m confused by so many people saying IVF shouldn’t be funded by the NHS?
You have to meet a lot of criteria to meet funded IVF, your BMI and life style choices are all taken into consideration and if they don’t fit right, you are told to go away and come back when they do. No other treatment on the NHS puts stipulations in place. They don’t refuse treatments to smokers or drug users and you generally never hear people say that they should. But then it comes to infertility and all of a sudden being a parent isn’t a right and we should just adopt.

On a tangent, having a child is not a right and should not be viewed as a right.

Twokidsnomore · 15/03/2023 20:32

dietcokelime · 15/03/2023 19:42

Available - sure.

NHS funded? No.

This.

surreygirl1987 · 15/03/2023 20:32

Obviously...

StrawHatOnTheParcelShelf · 15/03/2023 20:31

JJ456 · 15/03/2023 20:26

Exactly. Thanks @BordoisAgain
What’s the difference between me and my female partner and her male partner? Neither can produce viable sperm.

So either you have no problem and we are equal or you do have a problem and it’s because we’re gay.

Also, why do same sex couples have to ‘prove infertility’? Of course we are infertile, we’re missing one half of the equipment just like a heterosexual couple where one side has a fertility issue.

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The make does has viable sperm though, he just needed medical help to extract it from his body. The process isn't relying on buying in sperm from someone else - that's the difference.