Assisted Reproduction Registries and Reporting
RRM Academy Synopsis
UK IVF use rose among single patients and female same-sex couples
IVF use grew among single patients and female same-sex couples from 2012 to 2022, shows the UK regulator's 2024 register report. Single patients rose from 2 out of 100 IVF cycles to 6 out of 100, and female same-sex couples from 2 to 4 out of 100. Under age 40, NHS funding was least common for both groups.
Key Findings
- IVF cycles in the UK rose from around 60,200 in 2012 to 75,500 in 2022 (+25%), while the share of IVF cycles among opposite-sex couples fell from 96% to 89%.
- Among patients aged 18-34, birth rates per embryo transferred (fresh transfers, patients' own eggs, 2018-2022) were 43% for female same-sex couples, 40% for single patients and 35% for opposite-sex couples.
- In 2022, among first IVF cycles of patients aged 18-39 with no previous live birth, 52% were NHS-funded for opposite-sex couples, 16% for female same-sex couples and 18% for single patients.
- Average age at first IVF cycle for single patients fell from 37.9 in 2012 to 36.4 in 2022, while opposite-sex couples rose from 34.3 to 35.0.
- Multiple births in IVF averaged 12-13% in 2013-17 and 5-6% in 2018-2022, and the family types differed little.
Interpretation
The report summarizes counts from the national register of licensed clinics kept by the UK regulator, the HFEA. The authors describe trends and group differences and test no causes. The 2020 to 2022 treatment data and the 2019 to 2022 birth data are preliminary and not yet validated. The register holds no information on sexual orientation or gender identity. Reciprocal IVF numbers are estimates. The authors suggest the higher birth rates for female same-sex couples and single patients may relate to their reasons for IVF, such as donor sperm. Opposite-sex couples having IVF are likely to have infertility, the authors note.
RRM Context
Restorative reproductive medicine looks for the reason conception is not happening and evaluates both partners. The report compares birth rates across family types and suggests the groups differ in their main reasons for IVF. IVF bypasses the reproductive system and leaves the cause of infertility unresolved.
Abstract
This HFEA report presents preliminary UK family type statistics for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and donor insemination (DI) treatment, storage and donation, and highlights differences in use and outcomes of fertility treatment in the UK by family type from 2012 to 2022. According to the report, most IVF treatments in 2022 were among opposite-sex couples (89%), while the proportion of treatments among female same-sex couples rose from 2% to 4%, and among single patients from 2% to 6%, from 2012 to 2022. Further sections cover birth rates, egg storage and thawing, multiple birth rates, NHS funding and surrogacy cycles by family type. The report notes that family type comparisons are limited by the data held on the HFEA national register, where family types are classified by sex assigned at birth and linked partner details.
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.
