# So what does everyone think about NICE's new ruling?



## even (Apr 15, 2012)

I think I'm right in saying that NICE have issued guidelines this week that say that IVF should be offered to women up to the age of 42 (previously it was 39).  I'm 99.9% sure this is just for couples.
I asked 3 PCTs if single women could get IUI in their area.  2 said "no" and 1 said "maybe on appeal" (like you really have time to wait for an appeals process when you're fertility is running out!)

This all seems very unfair on single people.  If the NHS starts running a quality, free dating service, I will feel a bit less hard done by (even though it's too late for me)!

 to all
abnex


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## Rose39 (Dec 9, 2007)

Hi - the news articles aren't really giving the full context, just creating lots of noise as IVF is a topical subject and elicits strong views.... NICE are updating the current guidelines and have issued a draft version for consultation. The NICE guidelines are only guidelines, not regulations - I don't know whether it will make much difference in individual PCTs' policies, but the new guidelines are a step forward, at least. 
It is unfair on single women, especially if you have a diagnosed fertility problem which means that even if you were in a couple you couldn't conceive without help. There are significantly increasing numbers of single women having tx (I would imagine that a high proportion of women having donor IUI are single), and as such it will be harder for official bodies to ignore our needs, but it costs so much money to pay for tx, that I don't imagine any of us have the spare money to pay for a legal case challenging how single women are considered. As many of us go abroad for tx since it's so much cheaper, the real number of single women having tx will be far higher than shown by the current stats held by the HFEA (which apply to the UK only).
I'd be interested in others' views on this.
Rose xx


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## suitcase of dreams (Oct 7, 2007)

I personally don't give this a lot of thought, having long ago resigned myself to the fact that I would have to pay for fertility tx

However, when I do think about it, I am inclined to feel that single women with known/diagnosed fertility problems should be allowed access to tx on the NHS in the same way that couples with fertility problems are (otherwise it is unfair discrimination against single women)

Of course the challenge then becomes how to identify those problems to establish who qualifies and who does not? 

In my own case I went through multiple cycles of IVF with my own eggs as well as lots of immune tests/tx before finally conceiving with donor eggs and immune tx
I can't be sure (having not tried it!) but I suspect that had I tried to conceive with a partner I would not have been successful and would therefore have qualified for IVF on the NHS...but how would I have known about the problems without going through the cycles I went through to establish that I couldn't in fact get pregnant without a lot of help?

So I can see that the NHS is in a very difficult position with limited funding and having to make some very tough decisions

Yes it would be a wonderful world if all single women who wanted children could have free fertility treatment, but I think that's a somewhat utopian ideal and in many ways we in the UK are pretty lucky to get what we do get on the NHS (try living in the US for eg)

Maybe it's easier for me to feel this sanguine about it because I've got my boys and I'm not now going through the stress of tx and worrying how to pay for it all. I do remember finding it all very stressful at the time and feeling more strongly about it...now I'm more worried about how to pay for childcare and am feeling militant about the govt providing better options for working mothers   

Suitcase
x


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## caramac (Mar 21, 2010)

I can't ever imagine the government providing funding for single women to have fertility treatment and if I'm honest, in general I don't think they should. There are many ways for women to get pregnant *if they really wish to do so* without resorting to fertility treatment funding by the NHS who really do have more important areas to spend their money on.

However, I do think single women should receive funding if they have fertility issues just like a couple (although they should probably still have to pay for donor sperm/eggs, just get the IVF part free). But as Suity mentions, how would many single women discover they had fertility issues without undertaking treatment privately first?

Sorry if this sounds harsh/controversial, but even as a SMC I can appreciate that a cash starved NHS has better things to spend it's money on than single women WITHOUT fertility issues. And I am one of those women (no known fertility issues). But I wouldn't have expected treatment from the NHS to help me become pregnant.


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## morrigan (Dec 8, 2009)

im with you on that one caramac in fact my gp said the same when i went beofre treatment- she then referred me when i hadnt got pregnant in the pescribed time ( 6 months over 35 !) the consultant was rubbish and just said we wont help as you wont get funding and i think that is blatant discrimintation as had i have had a partner i would of got funding. 

Saying that - not many people are actually getting the so called nhs tx and i met several couples along the way who have had to go private as they didnt have the time to wait to be top of the list. My cycle would of been cancelled on the nhs due to poor response as well as people then have to make there mind up whether to use there free cycle up if it doesnt go exactly to plan. My bmi by the time i would of got referred would of been too high as well.

Personally i think unless they can offer everyone the same they shouldnt offer anyone- what they should do is offer treatment at cost rather than allowing the profitering that goes on with clinics in this country as i dont believe there is any good reason why its cheaper in europe.


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