# How do i go about getting IUI on the NHS??



## Moz1 (Nov 22, 2012)

My partner and i would very much love to have children and i believe we would be amazing parents. I just have no idea how we go about doing it, what the best treatment is and how much were looking at if anything?? If anyone can help id be really grateful.

Thank you


----------



## Han2275 (Oct 3, 2010)

Hi Moz,

You will find it virtually impossible to get NHS treatment as a same sex couple. There are a couple on here who fought for a long time through their PCT but I think they had proven fertility problems. If you look back through the LGBT posts you should find it and you could PM them. 
Have you decided whether you want to go down the clinic route or find your own known donor and try insemination at home? We opted for the clinic route as we wanted to make sure everything was sorted out for us re our own health and the legal side of things. I had 2 DI cycles back in 2007 to have DS1. DP had a lot more problems getting pregnant and she ended up having to move on to IVF to have DS2. I am now 13 weeks pregnant with one of her frozen embryos from that cycle. 
In total I would say we have spent over £10K on treatment but worth every penny  .
If you want to go down the clinic route then I would advise you see your GP to get a referral to your nearest clinic so you can discuss your options. You will find the couples on here have made babies in many different ways   so hopefully you will get lots of advice.

Good luck with the start of your journey


----------



## welshginge (Jul 12, 2009)

It depends where you live. Look up your PCT online & email them. Nothing to lose by finding out. Best of luck xx


----------



## M2M (Sep 16, 2009)

It really does depend on where you live.

Our PCT (Hull) will fund same-sex couples if they have proven fertility problems. I got 2 IVF cycles funded, though only once I had proven fertility problems.

Same for North-East Lincolnshire as my lovely friends (also on here) got funding through them for 3 IVF cycles.

Good luck and don't assume your PCT won't be open to it. Things are changing.


----------



## deemo (Oct 13, 2009)

> You will find it virtually impossible to get NHS treatment as a same sex couple


This is not exactly true. If your PCT offers fertility treatment for straight couples, then they do not have a lot of ground to refuse you on the basis that you are gay. I know quite a few lesbian couples who have gone the NHS route and got several IUI and IVF cycles funded for them (us included). 


First thing you have to do is see your GP and get them to refer you to a fertility clinic, then take it from there.


Good luck!


----------



## Chopio (Dec 15, 2011)

There are lots of boroughs in London that fund  

My borough (hackney) fund 6 IUIs and 3 IVFs per lesbian couple but they have some criteria eg age, registered with the hackney GP >1yr. Nothing for single lesbians at all which is really unfair. They also specify where you can be treated /no choice of clinic.

I know that some others eg Waltham Forest fund too but not sure how much. Even if you have to apply for special funding or be the first to pursue equality funding the it should take less than 18months. Might sound like ages but in fertility treatment that isn't the longest time and you can always get started privately in the meantime. 

There are lots of bloods tests and diagnostic scans etc that your GP has a duty to refer you for for free if you ask regardless of which PCT you are in. Eg. Basic hormone profiles, HSG. There is probably a good list somewhere in the 'getting started' section.

It sucks that it is such a postcode lottery but there is funding out there - it just takes a bit of finding.

Good luck!


----------



## katena (Nov 14, 2007)

I echo what demo said.... Get to your GL and ask for a referral. That's what we did. But... I did have a proven fertility issue (pcos). 

Good luck xx


----------



## anicca79 (Sep 29, 2012)

Our experience hasn't been great. We were told we would have to fund our treatment ourselves and our PCT only supports couples with proven fertility problems too. We did at least get some tests on the NHS though which has saved us a couple of hundred...but we had to fight for that and it helped that my wife is a nurse and was confident arguing with doctors. It's not fair that it's a postcode lottery but unfortunately that has been the case for a long time. There are some guidelines coming along next year which hope to address the imbalance but I think the current picture is the NHS will fund IVF once there have been 6 failed cycles of IUI, which would be upwards of £6k if self-funding...Hopefully some positive change is at least on the way


----------

