Infertility in the news

[AniSL]

I note that infertility and IVF has been in the news a lot lately. There was one poll which asked in these times of austerity, should IVF be offered - 52% of people said no - I would love to meet that 52%

I also read an article that sperm quality and quantity is in decline.

I would like to meet the 52% once their baby-making days are done due to MF issues.

So sad. They should pull funding for alcohol and smoking related illnesses first. People choose to smoke and drink, people don't choose to be infertile. Makes me so angry.

Wonder how many of those 52% already have their family of 2.2 children?

It made me so angry to read. People don't choose to be infertile. I think there's a lot wrong with the NHS and the way they use money. My GP was telling me that she was angered that some patients can't receive essential funding but there had been hymen surgeries allowed on NHS.
I wonder how many of the 52% are even aware of IVF and infertility issues

God I thank god everyday I have got NHS funding for my two cycles. The thought of them stopping funding is so dreadfully sad. The cost of mental health would go up id imagine as I would be clinically depressed I'm sure.

While I understand how devastating infertility can be I don't think it would unreasonably to stop offering IVF on the NHS.

Most of the treatments the NHS offer are essential. IVF isn't.
You can live a perfectly good life and even have a family without getting pregnant.

I agree. While I understand how amazing ivf can be, I don't necessarily agree it should be free on the NHS. A lot of truly essential NHS treatments are being cut (e.g. My uncle is no longer having regular kidney screenings despite being at very high risk of failure) and having ivf just isn't essential- nor is it really sustainable to keep paying for it when cutting other treatments could lead to deaths

I needed fertility treatment and underwent an operation. I think IVF should be offered to couples if needed as subfertility is not solely the woman's issue. It can also be the man's and equally both people could be contributing to their subfertility.

The inability to become parents is devastating to couples who want children and to deny them a treatment on the NHS that we all as a society have paid into is plainly wrong. Other people telling couples to adopt if they cannot have children is not on either.

I feel very torn on this, as likely I'd be one of the 52% - having children is not a life threatening condition & when those services are being cut, it's hard to justify spending on IVF. Sadly the NHS just doesn't have the resources to fund everything that people need, never mind what people want.

Have a family without getting pregnant - the stigmata that is attached to that in certain cultures - ostracised and ridiculed on top of the hurt they already suffer. Then that poor child isn't accepted either.
It's a difficult subject. I agree that there are treatments that have more importance that IVF, life threatening conditions, but there are also treatments available that aren't life threatening that are funded

I should imagine those 52% have never experienced the devastation of infertility. The NHS has not been crippled by women wanting babies and needing some help, it has been crippled by a society who do not take care of their old, their vulnerable and themselves. Life style related illness is far more of a hindrance to the NHS than anything else. I have paid into the NHS and other than a few stitches and my occasional smear test have never used it, I don't mind funding someone's gastric band because they can't stop eating or stick to a diet - therefore don't begrudge me some help to have a baby. People are happy to judge until it is their life affected

Infertility is a health condition and as such has as much right to be treated on the NHS as any other health condition

As someone who works in the NHS and has an IVF baby I don't think the NHS should fund it.

There simply isn't the money.

The postcode lottery is also terrible. We paid for our IVF as we weren't eligible in the area where we were living, but in the area we'd lived in for the preceding decade we'd have got three funded cycles.

I agree with welshweasel that the worst part of the whole thing is the post code lottery. It is completely unacceptable for one CCG to fund no cycles and for others to fund 3. If it wasn't offered on the NHS at all (everywhere) then everyone would have to go private and that would be the known and accepted practice. People would save for years for it.

I think if the system was universal (as unfair as some people would say that is), even if that meant no IVF on the NHS, people who struggle with fertility would have far more fair and transparent treatment than the status quo.

My fertility is due to immune issues. If immune issues of the reproductive system wasn't covered, then why would you pay to help other auto-immune problems like asthma, coeliac or arthritis?

Also, NHS is paid for by most and meant to help everyone. If I'm very healthy, haven't given myself diabetes or liver cirrhosis, why wouldn't I get help with the single health problems that I do have?

Having said that, we're found NHS completely useless so having private treatment.

JoJo I agree - I've pretty much not visited my GP or any hospital nor have I taken any prescription medication, it's fair to say that I have rarely used the NHS despite paying in for about 20 years, yet I receive no funding for the treatment that I so desperately need

I'm sorry you haven't received the help you want Op, but I think the crux of the issue is in your last sentence - to you it's a 'need' but to others it's a 'want' & the NHS doesn't have the resources to fund 'wants' sadly.

FWIW, I think those with self inflicted illnesses should be made to pay extra / contribute in some way as they're also using precious resources through their own actions that could be put up better use.

They're all very hard choices to make & due to years of piss takers (health tourists & claim culture etc), chronic underfunding & mis-management, the resources are no longer there for anything other than the absolute necessities (which when it comes to IVF, is debatable).

I guess some people will classify it as a need and others as a want. Infertility is classified as a disease by WHO and with the ageing population and one in six now having infertility issues, removing funding, I believe is not the solution when it comes to IVF funding. Our NHS was founded on the core principal of fair and equal healthcare - something which we all know has been lost.
I don't think the solution is cutting IVF funding, but reviewing the way in which it is funded needs to be looked at. At the moment, the NHS outsources infertility treatment to private providers, depending on where you live, the cost of this can range from 4K to well over 10k. Placing a cost cap on IVF treatment by private providers will help find a viable solution to the funding issue (a lot of European countries regulate what private providers can charge for fertility treatment and this is why it is cheaper), at present the private providers sourced by our local CCGs are able to charge what they want - leading to the cost variance and abuse of the system.
We were the first Country to deliver an IVF baby, sad to think we are now looking at cutting funding for this rather than regulating a price cap.

Totally agree with you re the price cap Op.

-Alcohol related illness' cost the NHS around 3 BILLION a year.

-Missed appointments cost the NHS 1 BILLION a year.

-Last year it cost the NHS 70 million in prescription paracetamol when they coat 19p in home bargains!!

Yes IVF is not a life threatening treatment and it costs the NHS but when situations like above are still available on the NHS then so should IVF!

cherryontopp - You can't really avoid giving prescription paracetamol for as long as it is used in hospitals: I suspect that is a large chunk of the cost there rather than people popping in to the GP with a headache.

Best Debbie, people do go to the GP and to get free prescriptions for medication they could get over the counter for a few pounds or less, it happens quite a lot.