Who needs an HSG (hysterosalpingogram)?
HSG or hysterosalpingogram? Let’s call it an HSG. After all, hysterosalpingogram may qualify as the most unpronounceable word you’ll meet on your fertility journey. We still can’t say it either – and we tried three times. Anyway, the abbreviation is not important but the procedure is.
Embryo Transfer: 10 Essential Tips For Success
Embryo transfer is a big IVF moment – medically and emotionally. It’s the point where weeks of scans, appointments and conversations have been heading.
Fertility problems? Show UK clinics the door!
Fertility problems affect around 1 in 6 UK couples of reproductive age. Many will be offered limited treatment at NHS fertility clinics. Or, more likely, no treatment at all: read all about the NHS postcode lottery here. Instead of getting help in their hour of need, desperate fertility patients face crippling costs at private […]
IUI: why you shouldn’t have artificial insemination
IUI, or artificial insemination, is fighting for its survival. Well, in the UK at least. If you thought you’d get IUI on the NHS, you could be disappointed. Guidelines have recommended a reduction in state-funded IUI. Why?
Is sex during IVF a good idea?
For many IVF patients, the issue of sex during the IVF process is a big one. Should you, and do you want to?
Smoking and IVF: why it’s a bad idea
Smoking and IVF. Few would disagree the two don’t mix. Tobacco use during any pregnancy is bad enough. The NHS now offers a breathalyser service to all pregnant women. That’s how seriously smoking and prenatal care is taken.
IVF treatment in Europe? You’re in safe hands.
Legal protection for IVF patients in Europe is impressive. It’s in a different league, for example, to cosmetic surgery, which still attracts some cowboy operators. Not so for IVF. Strict EU laws on fertility treatment, plus well-regulated industry practice, have been evolving for 30 years. If you choose to have an IVF cycle at a […]
Farewell Bob Edwards, visionary IVF pioneer
The death of British IVF pioneer Bob Edwards marks a life that changed the lives of millions. Since 1978, the year Edwards presided over the first IVF baby, over six million babies have been born thanks to the techniques he developed. The role of his colleague, the laparoscopy expert Patrick Steptoe, should also not […]
The Great British IVF Robbery?
If you’re over 40, you may qualify for state-funded IVF. Or maybe not. The recently updated NICE guidelines on fertility treatment, non-legally binding and ignored by most GPs, recommend that women aged 40 to 42 have access to IVF treatment on the NHS. The bad news? Several caveats apply to the access criteria.
PGS testing during IVF: should you have it?
Preimplantation genetic screening, or PGS, is a viable option for certain IVF patients. Available, for an additional fee, to IVF couples anxious about the chromosomal health of their embryos, PGS takes place before your embryo transfer (and delays it until the results are back). Due to its pre-transfer timing, it has to be better than […]