Couples ‘forced abroad for IVF treatment’

Couples desperate for a baby are being forced abroad due to a lack of sperm and egg donors in the UK, researchers say.

By The Newsroom

Published 30th Jun 2011, 07:00 BST

A new study found the most popular destinations for treatment are Spain and the Czech Republic, followed by the USA.

Major reasons for seeking fertility treatment abroad are a lack of donors in the UK, long waiting times for NHS treatment, high costs and a “postcode lottery” in accessing IVF.

The latest available figures show 396 men registered with UK regulators to donate sperm in 2008, alongside 1,150 women who registered as egg donors.

In 2008, 39,879 women had IVF treatment in the UK, of which 1,306 were treated with donor eggs.

However, the demand for egg and sperm donors far outstrips supply and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is examining how to boost numbers. The latest study was published in the journal Human Reproduction.