...to ask why the NHS funds IVF?

[moofeatures]

I promise I'm neither an (intentionally) goady fucker, nor Katie Hopkins.

But.

Following on from a recent thread about there being a perception that public money grows on trees, I'd like to ask your stance on the NHS funding IVF.

Now, before I get flamed for my insensitivity, let me explain that I myself was diagnosed with ovarian failure in my 20s. I am still of an age where I'd meet the criteria for NHS IVF funding, which would be my only way to have a biological child. I initially grieved for this as I always assumed I'd be pregnant one day, but also from day 1 of my diagnosis I've felt that artificial reproductive hormone therapy/IUI/IVF falls outside the remit of what the NHS should provide as it serves no medically therapeutic purpose.

The logical response to my argument is: "if the only option for IVF is to privately fund, then you're depriving less affluent people the chance to become parents", which is both true and a shame... but is it the NHS's problem? Really, it's the infertility which took away that choice - and it is a choice, not a right... at least in my opinion.

Am I alone in feeling this way?

I've always disagreed with NHS funding ivf, chidren aren't a right and there's no health need but rather a want.

They could offer at cost plus a small top up to raise extra funds so that there were other options rather than a blanket no.

With so many children in state care it would be better to use the money on them to find them stable homes than fund ivf. Children are expensive so if you can afford a chid you can afford ivf.

I agree, I don't think IVF should be NHS funded. I say this as someone that had ICSI.

It's a lifestyle choice not essential. The money could go towards new cancer treatments.

We went to Spain to have the treatment, about 5-6K. I kind of have the view if you can't afford that then how are you going to afford a child.

Well - for me, infertility means that there is something medically wrong with you and the nhs is there to cost effectively fix things that are wrong.
The pain and desperation of infertility is not to be underestimated. I think the current system is as fair as it can get.
Just to say though that anyone coming along even trying to suggest that adoption is a cure for infertility needs to go and do some basic of basic reading before they even think of posting.

I'm probably inclined to agree (although I probably wouldn't go as far as my mum, who disagrees with IVF full stop, regardless of who pays). It's a tough one though given the huge pain that infertility can cause.

Public money doesn’t grow on trees it comes from the public. I’d rather my taxes went to funding IVF than trident.
Infertility is only not a medical issue if you don’t think mental health is medical issue.

Children are expensive so if you can afford a chid you can afford ivf.

Sorry, but that is a spectacularly insensitive comment. One single cycle of IVF, for us, cost nearly £11k. That is a huge lump sum to pay out all in one go. Many, many people who could 'afford a child' would not be able to afford that.

Please think carefully before you post. We were incredibly fortunate that we could afford it; there are countless other people who would make great parents but who could not be able to afford that. I don't want to get into the debate about whether the NHS should or should not fund IVF (I can see both sides of the argument and I am genuinely not sure what I think), but I find your comment really crass.

YANBU.

My cousin has been given IVF. She has one child. Her DH has one child. They just don’t have one together. She’s been given 2 rounds for free.

My best friend doesn’t have a child, her DH doesn’t have a child. They’ve been given no rounds.

It’s crap.

Devils advocate - but what if infertility was causing someone so much anguish that their MH was suffering and they were depressed? Should it be funded then?

Personally I don’t think IVF should be funded when things like removal of excess skin after weight loss, aren’t.

Boxsets and Sarah, phew, thank you! I was convinced I was going to get lynched and called a monster!

Because infertility is a medical condition. Simple as that

YANBU it's non essential. Very sorry for the couples that need IVF of course but it's non essential.

As someone who is infertile myself, I don't agree that the NHS should fund IVF. I think that there's a lot of things that, if the NHS stopped funding them, would go a long way to reducing its financial issues

YesBarry - that's an interesting point, and I'm not sure what my stance is.

How about breast augmentation? A friend of a friend had it done on the NHS as she said her small boobs were causing her mental health to suffer. I’d rather it go on IVF than boobs. Maybe counselling should have been the option there. Like someone else said though, the NHS is funded by the people, for the people. It’s not up to us to decide what it can be used for.

would you fund it for people unable to conceive due to accident? Disability? Trauma? often there is a medical need or reason - and as others have pointed out infertility is a medical issue

Lots of things aren’t ‘necessary’ - I had a small operation and braces to straighten my teeth as a child. I would have survived without straight teeth. IVF is always first on the list of things to criticise though.

If someones mental health is so precarious then surely that's another reason not to have IVF and bring a child into the mix.

I doubt your 'friend' got new boobs due to being sad

maybe IVF also aids medical research and advances knowledge - which is used to treat and prevent problems in other areas

Iggi - I very much do think mental health issues are medical issues, and I wholeheartedly agree that treatments with medically therapeutic benefits (HRT etc) should be funded by the NHS. I'm just not sure 'childlessness' is an 'illness'.

Playing devil's advocate, pps have said it's a lifestyle choice to have children so shouldn't have free ivf, so where does this sit with people who have multiple children naturally but claim benefits to look after them? Is it unfair some people can get support to look after their children but others can't even have help to have one?

Playing devils advocate too...
what about gay or single women. If it’s a mental health issue then wouldn’t they have the right too?
Not sure where I stand btw just putting it out there

and to prevent inherited illness

It's a bit daft to say if you can't afford IVF you can't afford children. How many couples that fall pregnant naturally have £10k lying around?

maybe all maternity care should be private as well to even things out!