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Conception

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Original poster

The NHS does not support same sex couples!!!!!

99 replies

coulin · 09/01/2011 14:31

So my same sex partner and I decided the we love to extend our family and try for a baby last June 2010. First things first we went to our GP who was very supportive and referred us to Tameside hospital to have all my bloods and tests completed before being referred on to ST Marys Manchester. In December 2010 we go a letter back from St Mary's stating that " there is no funding for same sex couples". We are both heart broken by this discriminatory decision, and area now looking at paying for the treatment by our selfs. I have asked my GP to forward all my results onto sheffield assisted conception unit where we hope to have the support from the staff. My partner has proceeded with the appeal process and has the support of our local MP who is looking to take the matter to the PM question time! Was wondering if there is anyone else going through something similar?

OP posts:
Simbacatlives · 09/01/2011 14:33

What sex are you?

What costs would there be? Do you know that you both have fertility problems?

ASecretLemonadeDrinker · 09/01/2011 14:35

Is this for IVF? They have very strict criteria, my friend & husband (late 20s) went , only to be told this place you had to be 36 for IVF. Can you try elsewhere? I am unsure how it works.

Original poster
coulin · 09/01/2011 14:35

We are both females, all my tests came back fine as I would be the carrier. we would need donor sperm and for us to pay privet it will cost us £850 approx. in sheffield.

OP posts:
TheCrackFox · 09/01/2011 14:36

Have you already got children because a lot of NHS trusts will only fund couples who had no children.

Original poster
coulin · 09/01/2011 14:37

No its for donor insemination!

OP posts:
DottyDot · 09/01/2011 14:38

Has either of you already got a child?

I was told by my GP 8 years ago that I was unlikely to get IVF treatment on the NHS because dp had had our first child - so even though I hadn't had any children myself, I wouldn't have been eligible (and this was before civil partnerships were legal so I was pretty outraged - it's equality for some things for not for others... Hmm).

As it happened, my endocrinologist presribed me Metformin which did the trick.

Not sure what advice to give other than maybe see if your GP has any other thoughts about how to get the treatment you need.

Original poster
coulin · 09/01/2011 14:38

Neither of us have any children

OP posts:
DottyDot · 09/01/2011 14:38

Aah - I didn't know you could get donor insemination on the NHS! My friend who was one half of a lesbian couple paid for her treatment.

DreamTeamGirl · 09/01/2011 14:39

There is no medical reason you cant concieve so no they wont pay...
Why should they?

NannyState · 09/01/2011 14:40

I think it is different in different areas. My friends who are lesbians paid for two rounds of IVF themselves (unsuccessful), then managed to get NHS funded IVF in London for a third (successful!) attempt. However, the one who was having the baby had endometriosis. Don't know if that's relevant? Neither had children already, either.

Original poster
coulin · 09/01/2011 14:41

Well if the guy has bad swimmer or none at all then they will give the female donor insemination the NHS! Thats why this is a wired situation as my partner as no sperm!

OP posts:
ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo · 09/01/2011 14:42

why should you have donor insemination on the NHS?

Original poster
coulin · 09/01/2011 14:43

The NICE guidelines state that we are entitled to NHS funding! But our PCT said that there is no funding there!

OP posts:
ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo · 09/01/2011 14:44

well if the funding aint there, tehre's not much the NHS can do is there. blood from stones and all that.

and teh fact that your partner is female is not a medical reason why YOU can't conceive as YOU will be the patient.

Original poster
coulin · 09/01/2011 14:44

And why should we not get funding we pay all our taxes and National insurance contributions! I can't help it my partner has no sperm count!

OP posts:
wannaBe · 09/01/2011 14:46

I think that's fair enough. You do not have fertility issues (being a same sex couple is not a medical condition) so you should not be entitled to treatment on the nhs.

I would imagine the same would apply to a single woman seeking donor insemination and rightly so.

Original poster
coulin · 09/01/2011 14:47

So its ok for the NHS to give funding to couples where the guy has no sperm count but not to lesbians!!! Is this really equality?

OP posts:
ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo · 09/01/2011 14:47

a same sex couple would get it on teh NHS after already trying to conceive them selves. you haven't tried to yet so you are presenting no medical indications taht you have difficulty conceiving. i think if you paid for AI yourself and it didn't take then after a few times you might be entitled to it on the NHS because at that point tehre would be a medical need for assistance.

ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo · 09/01/2011 14:47

sorry not a same sex couple a heterosexual couple.

VivaLeBeaver · 09/01/2011 14:51

If you had fertility issues then yes you should get IVF whetehr you're a same sex couple or not.

But you don't have fertility issues, I don't think they would give a single women donor insemination for free either. So I don't see it as discrimination.

I'm sure you do pay your taxes, NI, etc and I'm also sure that you get a lot from the NHS already. You need to back down with the sense of entitlement. There are people with cancer, alzheimers, etc who can't get life saving drugs.

This country has gone to the dogs incase you hadn't noticed. My local hospital trust is £14million in debt for this one financial year! They are trying to save money wherever they can.

VivaLeBeaver · 09/01/2011 14:52

"So its ok for the NHS to give funding to couples where the guy has no sperm count but not to lesbians!!! Is this really equality?"

I think its ok and fair. A guy with no sperm count has a fertility issue. You don't.

Snorbs · 09/01/2011 14:53

It's different. In a heterosexual couple where the man is infertile then the situation is that the couple would be able to have children if it weren't for his medical problem. So there is medical intervention to try to either correct it or otherwise work around it.

The fact that your partner is a woman and hence has no sperm isn't a medical problem. If anything, it would be a medical problem if she were producing sperm.

I am sympathetic. It must be terribly disappointing for you both. But I think, in the circumstances, I can understand where the PCT is coming from here.

Original poster
coulin · 09/01/2011 14:53

As I said at the start we have just applied to go privet with Sheffield assisted conception unit. Hopefully everything should straight forward and we'll not have to apply for NHS treatment! I just wanted to here other people experiences!

FYI we were turned down for Funding before they had my fertility results! and denied us funding based on our sexuality!!!!

OP posts:
unavailable · 09/01/2011 14:54

I agree with Boo and WannaBe. This is not discrimination OP, unless you have a medical condition that prevents you from conceiving naturally.

DottyDot · 09/01/2011 14:54

Coulin - I think it would be different if you had tried to conceive with a male donor but were having problems (as I was). I agree with the state of NHS funding these days it would be very hard to argue treatment without evidence there was any kind of problem.