More Enquiries from Women Over 40 Means Better Public Education Needed in Age-related Infertility

LONDON - March 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Experts from The Bridge Centre, one of Britain's leading fertility clinics, welcome new recommendations to provide IVF to women up to the age of 42, but say that many would-be patients are still confused about age-related infertility as recent HFEA figures show that the live birth rate (per cycle) for women having IVF and ICSI with their own eggs aged 40-42 is only 13%.

http://www.thebridgecentre.co.uk/

Seminars for the over-40s held at the Bridge Centre this winter have attracted a large numbers of enquiries, which, says Michael Summers, consultant in reproductive medicine, reflects an upward shift in patient age for fertility treatment.

“The NICE announcement is an acknowledgement of the need to support people with infertility at an older age," said Mr Summers. "Nevertheless, we have been surprised at just how useful our seminars have been this winter.

“Their popularity also raises fundamental questions about fertility education at a younger age. Many couples and single women in their 40s are simply unaware that fertility declines with age, or that treatments will become less and less successful. Most women nearing the age of 42 have very little time left to have a baby - especially if they need fertility treatment. And even then the options are far from clear for many patients - some will need donor eggs, others embryo testing to reduce the risk of miscarriage.”

The seminars have also made it clear how success rates from fertility treatment decline with advancing age - which is also why the proportion of women using (and needing) donor eggs increases with age.

The Bridge seminars have attracted mostly heterosexual couples in their 40s and early 50s, but around one quarter of those attending were single women. Some of these were women who had not found a partner and were now exploring options on their own before it gets too late.

Mr Summers notes that the latest NICE guidelines are likely to extend even further the interest of women over 40 in fertility treatment - whether in the public or private sectors. However, to take full advantage of the new recommendations, he stressed that many women will also benefit from better public education in human fertility, and particularly the effect of age.

Ends

* The latest figures from the HFEA show that the live birth rate (per cycle) for women having IVF and ICSI with their own eggs was 32% for women aged 18 to 34 years, but only 13% for women aged 40-42 and 5% for those aged 43-44.

*The Bridge Centre’s next “Fertility for the over-40s” open events are taking place at the Bridge Centre, 1 St Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY on:

Saturday 27th April at 11am

Wednesday 1st May at 6pm

Contact information

Emma Smith

Marketing Co-ordinator

The Bridge Centre

E: emma.smith@thebridgecentre.co.uk

T: 020 7563 4310