The number of single women and female same-sex couples undergoing IVF in the UK has been rising over the past decade, a report by the fertility regulator has found.
The number of women undergoing treatment, including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), has increased from 1,400 in 2012 to 4,800 in 2022, while the number of female couples has doubled to 3,300 over the same period, the BBC reported.
Almost 90% of all IVF treatments in the country are for heterosexual couples.
Many women face huge financial barriers to accessing IVF, while the number of people needing infertility treatment is increasing.
In 2022 heterosexual couples underwent 47,000 IVF or donor insemination procedures. The number was 45,300 in 2012.
Among people aged 18-39 undergoing treatment, heterosexual couples received 52% of publicly funded cycles.
The report says that IVF is “one of the most invasive and expensive treatments, but more and more women are choosing it for several reasons, including:
higher fertility rates
reduced risk of twin pregnancies
possibility of storing embryos for future cycles
Reciprocal IVF, in which one partner provides the eggs (to be fertilized by donor sperm) and the other carries the baby, is also becoming increasingly popular.
One in four IVF treatments results in a birth. | BGNES
