30 years of fertility treatment

Since 1991, the chances of treatment leading to a birth have improved

NEARLY 400,000 babies have been born through fertility treatment in the past 30 years. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates assisted reproduction treatment and research involving human embryos in the UK, was set-up in 1991.

Since then it has seen big changes in treatment outcomes and patient demographics.

Its latest report, which covers up to 2019, shows more than 1.3 million IVF cycles and over 260,000 donor insemination cycles have been performed in the UK since its inception, resulting in the birth of 390,000 babies.

The number of IVF cycles has increased nearly tenfold over the period - from 6,651 in 1991 to 68,975 in 2019, and IVF birth rates in 2019 were three times higher than in 1991.

Birth rates for all patients under 43 have improved year on year patients aged 35 to 37 had a live birth rate per embryo transferred of 6% in 1991, increasing to 25% in 2019.

Julia Chain, Chair of the HFEA, said: "Fertility treatment has come a long way since the HFEA was set up, with significant growth and change taking place over the last 30 years.

"What hasn't changed is that the UK has remained at the forefront of research and innovation in fertility treatment to help people create families, and our data shows that through clinical advances and changes in technology over the last three decades this is now more possible than ever.”

She said the regulator was using the 30th anniversary to start a discussion about the future of fertility treatment and its powers, so it's prepared for future scientific changes while championing safe and effective patient care at all times.

Among the things that have changed is transferring a single embryo per IVF cycle becoming common practice.

In 2019, only a single embryo was put back in 75% of cycles, compared to just 13% in 1991.

Because of this, the proportion of pregnancies that result in multiple births (twins, triplets and so on) has dropped from 28% in the early 90s to 6% in 2019.

The type of patient having fertility treatment has also changed.

The proportion of IVF cycles involving patients aged 40 and over has doubled from 10% in 1991 to 21% in 2019.

There's also an increasing number of patients who are in female same-sex relationships or with no partner having treatment.

In 2019, 3,001 people who were trying to get pregnant had a female partner, and 1,598 had no partner both the highest numbers on record.

The number of egg freezing cycles also hit record levels, with 2,396 in 2019.

However, access to NHS funding for fertility treatment still varies widely across the UK, with 62% of cycles funded by the NHS in Scotland in 2019, falling to 20% in some parts of England.