According to campaigners, female same-sex couples in certain parts of the UK are resorting to extreme measures, such as remortgaging their homes and sacrificing basic necessities like food and heating, in order to self-fund fertility treatments
This is due to the unfulfilled promise by the government to equalise access to fertility treatment for all. Currently, these couples must self-fund up to 12 rounds of treatment before being eligible for NHS funding, leading to a significant financial burden.
The government’s 2022 Women’s Health Policy outlined the need to remove additional obstacles to same-sex fertility treatment, but time is running out for couples who are eager to start their families. Many parents hoping to give their children siblings are realising that this may not be an option due to the debt they have already incurred from previous treatments.
Labour MP Kate Osborne highlighted the issue of “financial infertility” faced by female same-sex couples, with some spending tens of thousands of pounds on fertility treatments. The situation has become dire, with individuals resorting to selling their homes, moving back in with family, or accumulating substantial debts through credit cards, loans, or high-interest insurance policies. While others around them are progressing in life, these couples are forced to put their dreams on hold.
LGBT Mummies, a charity founded by Laura-Rose Thorogood, has witnessed a significant increase in desperate calls from women setting up crowdfunding pages to raise funds for fertility treatment. The cost of living crisis has exacerbated the situation, leaving many couples with no other option but to seek private funding.
The stories of Lyndsay Andrews and her wife, who spent £30,000 on private fertility treatment, and Laura-Rose Thorogood and her wife, who have accumulated £60,000 of debt over 11 years, shed light on the financial struggles faced by these couples. The LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall has also received reports of families sacrificing basic needs and falling into major debt to finance fertility treatments, as these treatments are not covered by the NHS.
The current guidelines set by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) only provide NHS-funded IVF to women who have been unable to conceive after two years of regular unprotected intercourse or 12 cycles of artificial insemination. These guidelines are currently under review and will be updated in 2024. However, campaigners argue that heterosexual couples have easier access to fertility treatment by simply stating they have been trying to conceive for two years, while same-sex couples must “prove” their infertility through expensive artificial insemination procedures.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield expressed disappointment over the delays in fulfilling the promises made in the 2022 Women’s Health Strategy regarding equal access to fertility treatment. While she acknowledged that equalizing access is a priority, she admitted that the implementation has taken longer than expected due to resistance in some parts of the country.
The discrepancies in access to fertility treatment have resulted in a postcode lottery, with some female same-sex couples having to self-fund up to 12 rounds of costly artificial insemination procedures, while others receive funding for only three cycles. Male couples, on the other hand, are not eligible for NHS funding at all for treatments involving surrogacy.
Stakeholders have emphasised the need for a national mandate and additional funding to improve policies and provisions for same-sex couples seeking fertility treatment. The health minister is currently working on a letter to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) outlining expectations, and NHS guidance is expected to be released in the coming months.
Campaigners, including Kate Osborne and Robbie de Santos of Stonewall, have called on the government to take immediate action to improve support for family formation. They point out that the Scottish Government has already made progress in providing support for same-sex couples, while the UK government and Health Secretary have yet to fully implement the Women’s Health Strategy.
