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Fertility

23rd May 2019

Women over 34 are being denied IVF treatment in certain areas of England

Rebecca O'Keeffe

Unacceptable.

It has been revealed that women over 34 are being refused IVF treatment in certain parts of England.

According to guidelines, IVF should be offered to women until age 42.

However, new figures show around 80 percent of 12 areas in England are failing to do this.

Fertility Fairness, a campaign group said that IVF rules “penalises women who take longer to find a partner”.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said “blanket bans” were “not acceptable”.

Women in Wales and Scotland are offered IVF until they are 42, when certain criteria are met.

ivf

One 38-year-old woman told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme that she was considering moving house, having been told she was too old to qualify for IVF.

“It’s just unfair, because I am not over the hill,” she said.

“To say that 35 and over is the end of having children is ridiculous.”

“I would have liked to have known when I was younger,” she said.

“It would have enabled us to make a decision earlier about selling the house, and given us another year on what is already a timed situation.”

Topics:

ivf,NHS