Catherine Hill
Interim Chief Executive, Fertility Network UK
The Fertility Trends report shows that women taking charge of their fertility were powering all the biggest increases in the sector — by either choosing to freeze their eggs or become solo mums or duo mothers in same-sex relationships.
Earlier this year, the UK’s fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), published its 2021 ‘Fertility Trends’ report. Fertility Trends is published every two years and is a summary of the fertility treatment undertaken during that period in the UK. This year’s report stood out for a striking reason — women are taking charge.
Recent trends in fertility treatment
According to the HFEA’s data, there was a 64% rise in the number of women freezing their eggs in the hope of preserving their fertility; a 44% rise in the number of women choosing to become single mums and a 33% rise in female same-sex couples having fertility treatment to begin their families. It will be interesting to see whether these steep rises are replicated in future years.
It’s important to recognise the majority of these treatments will have been paid for by the women themselves. Egg freezing for social reasons is not funded by the NHS, while access to NHS-funded IVF for female same-sex couples and would-be solo mums is patchy and poor.
There was a 64% rise in the number
of women freezing their eggs in the
hope of preserving their fertility.
When and why women seek fertility treatment
The HFEA’s Fertility Trends report also collates data on the age of women having treatment. It, too, makes for interesting reading. The average age of women freezing their eggs is 35 (with data showing most women freeze their eggs because of a lack of men prepared to commit to parenthood).
The average age of IVF patients is 36 — about five years older than women who get pregnant naturally. This difference isn’t surprising, considering how long a typical fertility journey can take. Female same-sex partners have the lowest age for fertility treatment – on average 32.9 years.
Does this suggest male reluctance about parenthood is impeding women’s desire to embrace it? Perhaps, this year’s Fertility Trends data is showing us what women will do instead.
