29 April 2003

The future of the test tube baby

The Royal Society of Medicine's conference Assisted reproduction: past present and future on 8th May looks at the state of the art in fertility treatment, plus:

The UK is "the worst country in Europe" for funding IVF
Mr Peter Brinsden, Bourn Hall Clinic, - ART today: an overview
Although the UK pioneered IVF - the first test tube baby was born in Britain - we have the least consistent guidelines and least generous funding of treatment in Europe, Mr Brinsden will point out. At present only 15-20% of IVF is funded by the NHS, and each trust applies different criteria to decide which couples will get it. Mr Brinsden will look at the latest treatments available to those who can pay, and will call for "consistent and extended" public funding via a national IVF policy.

Think before you ask "when are you starting a family?"
Ms Clare Brown, CHILD, - The price we pay
"Infertility is an illness and should be treated like any other illness", says Ms Brown. She will discuss how far the UK is from this ideal, not only in funding of treatment but also in society's attitudes. She will highlight how infertile couples have to justify their right to treatment, and how the process can be so confidence-sapping that it harms careers and is linked to severe depression: one in five of those undergoing infertility treatment considers suicide. Family, friends and work colleagues can add to the pressure without even realising it, she warns, and casual questions about plans to have children can be difficult to cope with if you cannot easily conceive.
Case studies available via the RSM Media Office

Exchanging eggs for free treatment: "the only way forward"
Dr Kamal Ahuja, Cromwell IVF and Fertility Centre, - Egg sharing
The Cromwell was the first place to try 'egg sharing', where women who cannot afford IVF get free treatment in return for sharing eggs with other women. The practice has had a very bad press. Dr Ahuja will explain why he thinks this negative attitude is so unjustified. Among the advantages, he suggests, are the facts that waiting lists are reduced, eggs are no longer wasted and women are empowered to help each other out. He will compare attitudes in the UK with those abroad, including the US where egg sharing is frowned on even though women have long been able to sell their eggs for cash.

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