Assisted Reproduction Registries and Reporting
RRM Academy Synopsis
IVF use rose among UK single patients and female same-sex couples
UK single patients and female same-sex couples used more IVF in 2018. A report on 2018 data from the UK regulator HFEA counted IVF and donor insemination (DI) cycles by relationship type. IVF was 57 out of 100 cycles for single patients and 45 out of 100 for female same-sex relationships, up from 41 and 27 in 2008.
Key Findings
- IVF made up 45% of cycles for patients with a female partner in 2018, up from 27% a decade earlier. For patients with no partner the share went from 41% to 57%.
- Among patients under 36 with a female partner starting a first IVF cycle with their own eggs in 2018, nearly 60% had no earlier DI cycles.
- In 2018, DI birth rates per treatment cycle averaged 13% against 26% for IVF. DI rates were 15% for a female partner, 14% for a male partner and 9% for no partner.
- Per embryo transferred, IVF birth rates with own eggs in 2018 were 31% for a female partner, 23% for a male partner and 17% for no partner.
- Of UK IVF and DI cycles in 2018, 90% were used by patients in heterosexual relationships, 6.4% by female same-sex relationships, 3.2% by single patients and 0.4% by surrogates.
Interpretation
The report summarizes cycles UK clinics sent to the HFEA register, excluding about 850 for reporting errors at one clinic. The authors say birth rate differences are likely due to age and, for IVF, infertility factors. The report gives no confidence intervals or significance tests. The by-partner IVF birth rates are counted per embryo transferred and the DI rates per treatment cycle. The authors say most patients with a female partner or no partner have historically used DI, likely to obtain donor sperm. For those with a female partner, they name donor sperm and earlier IVF use without known infertility as possible factors in higher IVF birth rates.
RRM Context
IVF bypasses the reproductive system without resolving why conception fails. Restorative reproductive medicine evaluates both partners to find and treat the cause. Diagnosis comes first.
Abstract
Family formations in fertility treatment 2018 presents UK IVF and donor insemination (DI) statistics for patients in heterosexual relationships, patients in female same-sex relationships and single patients. The report states that fertility treatment was mostly used by patients in heterosexual relationships (90%) in 2018, followed by patients in female same-sex relationships (6.4%) and single patients (3.2%). Sections compare these groups on the use of IVF and DI, birth rates, egg freezing, NHS funding and egg sharing, with annexes on treatment cost and funding criteria. Surrogate information is not used in the report because of low numbers, and the figures come from Register data as at 07/01/2020.
Read the guide
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ART Registries and Codes of Practice: A Reference for Patients and Clinicians
A global reference to national IVF registries (HFEA, RTAC, ANZARD, Q-IVF, CDC, DIR, JSOG, CARTR Plus, REDLARA, ESHRE EIM, ICMART) and the codes of practice that govern fertility clinics. What each measures, and what they miss.
