The number of single women and same-sex couples undergoing fertility treatments has tripled in a decade, new figures show.
Between 2012 and 2022, single women using IVF or donor insemination increased from 1,400 to 4,800.
And female same-sex couples embarking on fertility treatments increased from 1,300 to 3,300 during the same period, according to the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
This means that single women now account for 6 percent of all IVF treatments (more than one in 20), compared to 2 percent a decade earlier. Experts say the increase in numbers and decrease in the average age of 36 is probably because it is more socially acceptable than ten years ago.
The report highlights how egg freezing is one of the “fastest growing” treatments. Typically conducted by those who want to keep their fertility options open for later in life, single women accounted for 90 percent of participants as of 2018.
Only one in 10 egg freezing treatments were performed among heterosexual couples, but this group was more likely to have eggs thawed for treatment compared to single women.
The number of single women and same-sex couples undergoing fertility treatments has tripled in a decade, new figures show (file image)
Between 2012 and 2022, single women using IVF or donor insemination increased from 1,400 to 4,800 (file image)
The report highlights how egg freezing is one of the “fastest growing” treatments. Typically conducted by those who want to keep their fertility options open for later in life, single women accounted for 90 percent of participants as of 2018 (file image)
In 2022, one in six IVF cycles between female couples was so-called “reciprocal IVF”, in which a woman carries an embryo created from her partner’s egg.
The report also includes for the first time surrogacy, which was used in 0.4 percent of all IVF treatments in 2022. Heterosexual couples accounted for 39 percent of them, while “other family types” such as exclusively male couples made up the other 61 percent.
Overall, almost nine in 10 (89 percent) IVF treatments in 2022 were between opposite-sex couples, the HFEA said.
The authors highlighted how single women and same-sex couples had the highest birth rates after undergoing treatment, with a rate per embryo transferred of 40 percent compared to 35 percent for heterosexual couples.
The different rates are likely due to reasons for undergoing IVF, as opposite-sex couples are more likely to use the treatment due to infertility issues.
NHS funding for IVF in 2022 was less common for single patients and same-sex female couples (18 and 16 per cent respectively) compared to 52 per cent for heterosexual couples aged 18 to 39.
Julia Chain, president of the HFEA, said: ‘In the UK, different family groups can access a wide range of reproductive options when entering fertility.
journey. While the number of same-sex female couples and
“The number of single patients receiving fertility treatment continues to rise and we continue to see lower rates of NHS-funded treatment.”
He added: ‘While the HFEA does not regulate funding, we encourage those commissioning fertility services to review their eligibility criteria and consider whether they have an adverse impact on access to treatment, and we hope this report will spark further debate.
“We also encourage healthcare providers to ensure that the information they provide represents the diversity of families and patients accessing treatment, so that everyone can receive an inclusive experience.”
Rise in single mothers having babies through IVF: Rates triple in a decade as nearly 100 women a week try to get pregnant without a partner