AIBU to think it's unfair same sex couples can get IVF on the NHS but not single women?

[CateB78]

https://news.sky.com/story/fertility-inequality-how-single-women-are-facing-ivf-discrimination-and-financial-strain-12996293

I dont think it's any more discrimatory than not getting ivf based on postcode, which also happens now. If I had lived in a different county, less than 2 miles away I would have qualified but as it was I didn't and had to fund privately. In my view thats the bigger issue to fix here, treating people with infertility consistently, if you achieve that you can move on to treating people who don't necessarily have a medical issue

I had no idea how to vote- Why are you singling out same sex couples?
Surely your Aibu is - is it unfair that single women don’t have access to nhs-funded ivf , but couples do (regardless of sex).

If it can be argued that not having a child could create mental health issues which may life threatening,

If someone's mental health is that unstable, then them having children shouldn't be facilitated.

I don't think anyone should get IVF on the NHS. Investigating infertility in straight couples is OK because it might uncover underlying health problems and simple fixes. IVF is expensive with a low success rate for each cycle. And I hope sperms and egg donations don't happen on the NHS.

I was not offered help as a same sex couple despite trying for 9 years, some lesbians are also infertile. It was (is?) a post code lottery.

The state can totally legitimately restrict private fertility treatment though. It can determine that sex-selective practices are illegal because of the socially undesirable effects, for example. It can decide that buying a woman’s body as incubator is not ok. It can limit things in various ways.

There is no right to have a baby.

It doesn't matter. Go on facebook then on their page and read all the personal accounts of people struggling to fund their treatment. It will most certainly end up being the preserve of the wealthy as couples end up choosing between a family and bills if there is no funding. I can't see minimum wage workers being able to fund it can you?

😡 have you read some of the threads on how difficult it is to be a parent in a heterosexual marriage???

Whilst I disagree fundamentally with @CalistoNoSolo , I also believe that parenthood isn’t a human right. When there is so much poverty in the UK, any funds that are available for what is essentially a lifestyle choice should be diverted to support those who live in poverty.

A bit unfair. For a lot of people, never having children is the worst thing imaginable. Personally I’d rather lose my limbs than have never had kids but that’s me.

What hurts the most with these shitty threads is people wading in with opinions. No one ever gives NUMBERS about how much the nhs spends on IVF. People are obsessed with bleating on that it shouldn’t be funded, but no one ever has any real stats do they? I’d love to see someone come up with the numbers. Let’s compare the spending on infertility with other medical issues that others deem ‘unnecessary’

It’s the same shit over and over. Not one person suffering infertility is arguing for unlimited IVF funding, far from it. A huge part of the argument is the post code lottery. Why are some couple allowed 3 fully funded cycles and others nothing whatsoever, simply because of where they live?THAT is the real issue. The NHS does not hand out fertility treatment like there is no tomorrow.

I’m interested to see if the people saying that it shouldn’t be funded at all on the NHS have children.

I have a yearly NHS-funded treatment which does not save my life, however it improves it immeasurably. Is that ok?

So those who can have loads of kids but are in poverty get support and those who can’t but support themselves don’t get anything.

I don’t know, it depends what you see the nhs as being for. I’m personally very glad to live in a country where you can get one go of ivf, even though I wasn’t able to use it myself. What’s life about right?

Also, if the NHS starts funding IVF and other fertility treatments for lesbian couples or single women I can absolutely guarantee gay couples and single men will be jumping up and down shouting 'what about me'.

I think IVF should be for couples who can use their own eggs and sperm. I don’t agree with egg/sperm donation, it’s not in the interests of the child.

However, we allow egg and sperm donation, then it makes no sense to me why single women can’t get treatment.

I agree with this.

And expecting to rent wombs.

100% agree. A right to a child is a very, very dangerous road to go down. The person whose rights should matter most is any potential child.

IVF on the NHS should be for those with infertility issues- being gay, being single- sorry neither of those should qualify.

Should the nhs fund abortions? We shouldn’t minimise the effects of unintended pregnancy but (unless there’s a serious medical issue) it’s not life threatening after all…

I wouldn't provide IVF to anybody on the NHS, but in its current provision it is a means to circumvent fertility issues, which aren't necessarily present for same sex couples.

Nobody should have an automatic entitlement to have children.

And I say all this as someone who struggled for many years with infertility, and does not have children as a result.

He has a grown up child he hardly sees?

Why?

Do you have the evidence to back up this spurious claim about funding?

This.

I can't believe you've lumped vaccination into that.