Did you read the headlines about that HFEA study? 👀

If you haven't already seen it, the HFEA released a report last week, and boy do we have a lot to say about it. 

The standout statistic this year is the average age at which patients are starting IVF in the UK: officially over 35. Julia Chain, chairwoman of the HFEA, said, “Our data shows the average age of patients starting treatment for the first time is now nearly six years older than the average age at which women in England and Wales gave birth to their first child.”

Note the use of the word ‘patients’. Not ‘women’. Patients. 

Then came the headlines. 

The Times: ‘Leaving it too late? Average age of starting IVF passes 35’.

Sky News: 'Average age of women starting IVF passes 35'.

The Times (again, because apparently the first headline wasn’t bad enough they needed a spicy subhead): ‘Women are jeopardizing their chance of having babies, regulator warns.’

Erm. WTF? When did women become at fault here? Because let me make one thing clear: women are not delaying IVF because they want to. Women are not delaying IVF because they’re busy doing other things. Indeed, as the HFEA report goes on to say, “There are several possible factors for this including the knock-on effect of delays across the NHS due to the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in gynaecology, which has likely led to delays in some patients accessing fertility services.” She went on to say that long NHS wait times and lack of funding for NHS treatment meant women were having to delay starting treatment. Because we’re busy saving (or, as some notable commentators put it, “being narcissistic”).

Vicky Spratt wrote a beautiful piece in Refinery29 on this, I highly recommend you check it out. 

Whilst we’re here, let’s talk about NHS funding. This has fallen, from 40% of cycles in 2012 down to only 27% – the lowest it’s been since 2008. During COVID alone NHS funded IVF cycles fell by 7%. NHS funding is also strictly limited, with many parts of the UK limiting availability of IVF to women under… 35. So… with the average age of women starting IVF at 35, and a 2 year waitlist for NHS fertility care… we’re… screwed?