One in six of all private or NHS fertility treatments in the UK are accessed by single women or female couples. A report from the Fertility Regulator.
The number of single women undergoing these treatments, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), has increased from 1,400 in 2012 to 4,800 in 2022, while the number of female couples treated has doubled to 3,300 over the same period.
Same-sex couples still account for about 90% of all IVF treatments.
A fertility charity said many female couples and single women face too many financial barriers to prove their infertility before they can access NHS-funded IVF.
A report by the Human and Fertilization Embryology Authority (HFEA) states that heterozygous couples will undergo 47,000 IVF or donor insemination (DI) treatments in 2022, up from 45,300 in 2012.
While increasing numbers of different family groups are seeking fertility treatment, NHS funding for these treatments continues to fall.
Only 27% of IVF cycles are paid for by the NHS, down from 40% in 2012.
According to the HFEA, of these NHS-funded cycles, 86% are 18-39 year olds with their first treatment.
Same-sex couples in this position receive 52% of NHS-funded cycles, with female couples at 16% and single women at 18% – both slightly up.
The HFEA report said IVF was “the most invasive and expensive treatment per cycle”.
But more female couples and single women are choosing it for a number of reasons, including:
- High birth rate per cycle
- Low risk of twin pregnancy
- Possibility of storing embryos for future treatment
Reciprocal IVF, where one partner provides eggs (to be fertilized by donor sperm) and the other carries the child, is also becoming more popular.
Overall, one in four IVF treatments resulted in a baby, the report said.
But IVF birth rates are higher among single women and female couples, who are less likely to seek treatment for infertility problems than heterosexual couples, who are also waiting for other treatments.
The chances of qualifying for NHS funding depend on where patients live.
In England, NHS funding depends on criteria set by local integrated care boards, which vary widely – while in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is a national policy.
In Scotland, 78% of IVF cycles are funded by the NHS, compared to 53% in Wales and 45% in England.
But Scotland does not fund fertility treatment for single women.
The previous government said it would remove barriers to treatment for couples in England who, in most areas, had to undergo a minimum of artificial insemination before being accepted for NHS-funded IVF. Six cycles have to be paid for.
But the charity Fertility Network UK said: “This has not yet happened, leaving same-sex couples and single women who want to become parents to pay for their treatment if they are able to. will.”
Stonewall, who advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, said urgent change is needed so everyone who wants children has equal access to services.
The HFEA said it encouraged healthcare providers to “ensure that the information they provide represents the diversity of families and patients accessing treatment”.