Pride Angel

Failure to find 'Mr Right' is driving growing numbers of older women to put motherhood on ice.

Women in their 30s and 40s, who once would have settled for second best, are freezing their eggs while they continue their search for a man who is father material, British fertility doctors have revealed.

Their plight echoes that of radio presenter and model Lisa Snowdon who recently revealed her worries that she is part of a growing female phenomenon of SAS: single, attractive and successful women who have everything except for a partner.

Miss Snowdon, 38, counts George Clooney among her former beaus but has been single for five years.

Last night, British fertility doctors said contrary to the popular perception, the majority of women freezing their eggs for non-medical reasons are not career hungry but simply unlucky in love.

The youngest woman seen at the Leeds Centre for Reproductive Medicine is 28 - most are in their late 30s. Dr Srilatha Gorthi, a senior research fellow at the clinic, said: 'The come in their 30s or late 30s if they haven't found the right partner.'

At the Care chain of fertility clinics, the technique is now as popular with healthy women as with cancer patients and women at risk of premature menopause.

Dr Simon Fishel, managing director of the 11-clinic chain, said: 'We don't see many women of 20 or even 30. 'Women are coming in in their late 30s because they are starting to feel that nothing is happening. They have fallen out of a relationships, they haven't got a man, they are career people.'

The trend was brought to light by a study of all the women who had applied to have their eggs frozen at a Belgian clinic between July of last year and May of this year.

Highly-educated, financially secure women, they were all in their late 30s and early 40s, and had considered adoption or single motherhood, before plumping to spend hundreds of pounds on IVF and egg vitrification, or freezing.

They told their doctors that they wanted to 'take the pressure of the search for the right partner' and 'give a future relationship more time to blossom' before bringing up the subject of babies.

Some of the 26 women also said they were taking out insurance against future infertility, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology's annual conference heard.

Study leader Dr Julie Nekkebroeck, from the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at the Free University of Brussels, said: 'The women I saw were not young calculating career women who have everything worked out and deliberately postpone motherhood to advance their careers.

'By vitrifying their oocytes (eggs) they wanted to buy time to find the right partner and do everything they could to prevent age-related infertility. 'Moreover, frozen oocytes were considered as very precious goods, since even if they would meet "Mr Right" in the near future, they would only use the frozen oocytes in the last instance, after trying to conceive naturally.'

But others warned that egg freezing does not guarantee motherhood - and pointed out that by the time a woman reaches her late 30s, the quality of her eggs will have already deteriorated.

Clare Lewis-Jones, of the charity Infertility Network UK, said: 'Many women now choose to delay having children and although they should be supported in that choice, they need to be aware of the potential problems they may encounter when they do decide the time is right for motherhood.

'Age has an impact on male as well as female fertility and when they do meet Mr Right, they may well find that he has fertility problems. They also need to be aware that using fertility treatment is no guarantee of success.'

Professor David Adamson, of the International Federation of Fertility Societies, cautioned: 'Planning reproductive life should be based on accurate information.

'The potential value of social egg freezing is yet to be determined through further studies because of concerns about its effectiveness, safety for the baby, and its application in healthy women.

'At this time, there’s no guarantee that egg-freezing will result in a baby in the future, even for young women. 'There is much misunderstanding of impact of age on reproduction, but essentially if a woman freezes her eggs when she is young, she has a greater chance of success than does an older woman who freezes her eggs.'

Robert Winston, the IVF pioneer and broadcaster, last year called for a curb on clinics offering freezing for non-medical reasons until more research was carried out.

He said: 'Women are paying a very high premium for an expensive "insurance" policy. 'And this policy should not be sold at the present time although it is being sold at clinics in London and other places. 'The whole thing is a bit of a confidence trick.'

The procedure was introduced to give cancer patients, who face the risk of being left infertile by their treatment, the possibility of still having children later in life.

But, today, several hundred British women have put their eggs on ice and a handful of babies have been born. Forty five clinics do egg freezing, charging £2,500 to £5,000 per session. But some women could go through up to 10 sessions, taking their bill to £50,000.

Article: www.dailymail.co.uk 28th June 2010

Read more about egg donation

The current guidance says all infertile women aged between 23 and 39 should be offered three cycles of treatment for free on the NHS, however few Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) meet this in full.

NICE is currently reviewing the guidelines to make sure that they comply with the Equality Act passed by the previous Government which promised to end many types of discrimination.

Documents seen by The Sunday Telegraph disclose that the rationing body is also considering how to ensure lesbians and single women have the same rights as heterosexual couples for treatment if they are thought to be infertile.

Rules which deny treatment to those whose partners have children are also likely to be axed, according to the minutes from a NICE committee debating the issues.

No decisions have been taken on any of the ideas which are intended to promote "equality of opportunity".

Clare Lewis-Jones, chief executive of the Infertility Network, a support group for those trying to have children, welcomed the idea of scrapping age limits.

"I think measuring ovarian reserve [the number of eggs a woman has] is a better way to make rationing decisions than age, but I would be concerned if any women interpreted this as meaning that age is not the key factor which determines their chances," she said.

"People read about women having children in their 40s, and often think their chances of babies late in life are better than they are – age is still the number one factor which determines fertility."

She said the review needed to take account of fundamental unfairness in the way different decisions were taken across the country.

Although NICE provides national guidelines, most PCTs do not follow them in full, with some setting more limited age restrictions, and most offering fewer than three cycles of IVF.

"The current situation is just a mess," Ms Lewis-Jones said.

Dr Allan Pacey, a fertility expert from Sheffield University said: "I think its logical to move away from age guidelines to those based on ovarian reserve. It is very unfair at the moment."

Glasgow Centre for Reproductive Medicine has the world's largest database of ovarian reserve, with records of more than 10,000 women.

Dr Marco Gaudoin, the centre's medical director said it was time for NICE to catch up with improvements in science and research demonstrating that the tests could provide a reliable predictor of fertility.

He said: "We have been pioneering ovarian assessment for years.

"We see 40-year-olds who are not allowed treatment on the NHS, and we find out often that in fact they have a pretty good ovarian reserve, and a good chance of successful treatment."

But Alison McTavish, secretary of the British Fertility Society cautioned against some of the changes.

"If you have to take decisions about rationing, age is a pretty good predictor of outcomes. Doing specialist tests on women to check their ovarian reserve, and investigations is a very expensive way of trying to make the system fair."

Minutes of NICE's committe drafting the scope of new guidance describe "strong support" for consideration to be given to the use of ovarian reserve tests, in place of simple age restrictions.

The minutes note: "Commissioners need clear agreed guidelines across England and Wales.

"Sometimes younger women with less chances of getting pregnant (based on ovarian test results, previous cycles, etc) get funded whereas older women with better chances don't."

Dr Gillian Lockwood, a fertility doctor and vice-chairman of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, criticised what she described as "confused thinking" within the discussion paper.

She said: "It is not clear whether they are trying to design a mechanisms to protect themselves from the anti-discrimination lobby, or trying to set criteria which give women the best chance of a successful pregnancy".

"NICE seem to think that the best thing is to spend money on those with the best chance of a pregnancy; there is nothing fair about that at all."

NICE has just finished a consultation on the scope of the guidance, but it will not agree the new rules until 2012.

The documents do not propose extending the right to fertility treatment for most lesbian or single women seeking children, but suggest that those believed to suffer fertility problems should have the same access to IVF as heterosexual couples.

Read more about IVF and looking for a known sperm donor.

The debate surrounding the rights and welfare of donor offspring has been gaining momentum over the past few years, and a growing number of countries have already banned anonymous sperm donation to ensure the right of offspring to access information about their donors. In the US, however, anonymous donation is not only legal but is still the prevailing norm. With no central registry and no federal or state regulation requiring long-term record keeping, information about donors is kept by individual sperm banks and fertility clinics according to various standards and for different lengths of time.

The outcome of the current situation is that many US donor offspring will never have potential access to information about their donors (either non-identifying or identifying information subject to donor's consent to disclosure). This reality raises serious issues regarding the ethics of denying individuals the right to information about their genetic origins. It also makes it particularly important to collect data on the actual needs and desires of donor offspring, which could provide empirical support for future policy initiatives.

The release of a report on a new American study of young adults conceived through sperm donation on 31 May www.familyscholars.org provides an opportunity to comment on the ethical ramifications of this US regulatory vacuum. The report itself is a popular presentation of the study's findings and, as such, it proposes one of many possible interpretations of the study's data. The empirical data itself, however, is rich and deserves the attention of prospective parents, policy makers, researchers and bioethicists.

The study was designed to probe the identity, kinship, well-being, and social justice experiences of donor-conceived adults. It is unique insofar as it contains the largest reported sample to date and its methodology successfully prevents selection bias to the extent possible. Furthermore, it is the first study of this scale which provides comparisons with adoptees and with individuals who were raised by biological parents.

Unsurprisingly, the data tells a complex story. For example, a majority of donor offspring favour the practice of donor conception (61 per cent), believe that society should encourage people to donate sperm and eggs (73 per cent) and think that health insurance plans should make it easier for people to have babies with donated sperm or eggs (76 per cent). At the same time, on an individual level, a large minority say that the circumstances of their conception bother them (45 per cent) and a much bigger percentage of donor offspring (43 per cent) than that of adoptees (15 per cent) or people raised by biological parents (six per cent) feel confused about who is a member of their family.

Although this multifaceted data can lead to various interpretations and proves the need for further research, one element clearly emerges: being told the truth about their conception and having access to information about donors are indeed perceived by donor offspring as an important element in their well-being. A very large majority (80 per cent) feel that 'donor conception is fine as long as parents tell children the truth about their conception from an early age' or that telling early on 'makes it easier for the children'. In addition, 68 per cent feel that they have the right to non-identifying information about their donor, 67 per cent that they have the right to know his identity, and 63 per cent that they should have the opportunity to form some kind of relationship with him. What surfaces is the importance of securing at least the possibility of access to information and the acute inadequacy of the current situation in the US.

The report presenting the study's findings makes some recommendations that may seem extreme and impracticable in the current US context, such as banning anonymous donations or the call to would-be parents to 'consider not conceiving a child with donated sperm or eggs'. It also makes important and realistic recommendations, such as the call for a large-scale longitudinal research study on the well-being of donor offspring, or for mandatory counselling of prospective donors and parents regarding what is known about the life experiences of donor offspring.

Another crucial recommendation supported by the study's data but missing from the report is the immediate creation of central confidential registries that would safely record all data related to genetic origins and genetic relatedness (i.e. the identities of donors, donor-offspring and donor-siblings) for an indefinite period of time. Such registries should be created now regardless of the current legal status of anonymous donation. They would ensure that if and when a change in policy becomes possible, future access to information may at least be technically possible.

Article: 21st June BioNews 563

Read more about donating sperm and finding a known sperm donor at www.prideangel.com

A controversial dating website, with a strict ban on ugly and fat people, has launched what it's calling a 'beautiful baby service', a virtual egg and sperm bank for people who want to have attractive babies.

This same website kicked out 5,000 users in January because other members signaled that they became too chubby celebrating Christmas and the New Year.

Critics are questioning the ethics of the site but those running it are making no apologies.

The site says its "beautiful baby service" is open to everyone. The founder said 'even 'ugly people' would like to bring good looking children into the world. But one British watchdog group says cherry picking pretty people as parents, is just wrong.

"It's a symptom of a very dangerous tendency in our society that says we can take control of everything to do with reproduction and have it exactly the way we want it," said Dr. David King from Human Genetics Alert.

While there is a need for providing a service for single, gay, lesbian and infertile couples to have children, this website seems to be heading towards eugenics and the creation of designer babies, which is very concerning.

Pride Angel the leading website connection service for gay, lesbian, single and infertile couples wishing to become parents said ‘Websites seem to be offering sperm donors services like dating agencies with little thought to the serious consequences of not being aware of all the important factors which need careful consideration, when undertaking donor conception, such as sexually transmitted disease screening, the legal rights of the donor or co-parent and ultimately the right of the child to have information about their donor’.

Not only this, but many other websites allow donors to offer their services using natural insemination (sexual intercourse) and even request money for their services. ‘We at Pride Angel carefully monitor all our members profiles to ensure that they are genuine and restrict the number of contacts made between donors and recipients, helping to ensure that particular donors are not donating to numerous women, something which is of great concern for any child born to have numerous unknown siblings’. ‘We also advise all our members to use HFEA regulated fertility clinics for treatment’.

Read more about donating sperm or finding a sperm donor or co-parent at www.prideangel.com

Do you ever wonder what father’s day is like in a house with two dads? In a home with gay parents raising children, the emphasis is on Father’s day being about ‘Fathers’ or parents rather than on an individual.

Father’s day in a house with two dads can be an extra special event. The only challenge however, is that when you are celebrating both of your dads on the same day, then father’s day doesn’t actually celebrate either parent as an individual. Instead of being about one parent it is about both parents which makes it more of a family day.

Other challenges which differ in a house with two dads include: which adult does the organising if the children aren’t old enough themselves? How do you make sure both parents feel equally important? How does special attention between parents get divided? For example who makes breakfast in bed if the children aren’t old enough to do it by themselves?

In Michael and Paul’s house their two sons who are now 4 and 6 years old, delight in making special handmade gifts and individual father’s day cards for both of them, and they both rush excitedly into their bedroom in the morning, so not much of a lie in can be had! Michael and Paul fostered the two brothers for 2 years before deciding to adopt them after the certainty that they would not be returned to their biological parents.

Michael said ‘Our father’s day is all about having a fun family day together , we like to take the boys to the local park on a Sunday, it helps to burn up some of their energy’. Paul added ‘We never thought we would be dads and feel so lucky to have our own family at long last.’

We at Pride Angel wish all dads a very happy father’s day and for all those hoping to become dads in the near future we wish you much happiness in your journey to become parents.

Read more about parenting options, donating sperm or co-parenting

The first "test tube baby" was born in 1978. With advances in reproductive science, an estimated one percent of all American babies are now born each year through in vitro fertilization (IVF). But IVF and other assisted fertility treatments may be solving one problem by creating another, suggests new evidence from Tel Aviv University.

In a recent study, Dr. Ditza Zachor of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine reported a strong link between IVF and mild to moderate cases of autism. Her findings were presented last month at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Philadelphia.

According to her research at the Autism Center at the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Israel, which Dr. Zachor directs, 10.5% of 461 children diagnosed with a disorder on the autism spectrum were conceived using IVF, a significantly higher number than the 3.5% autism rate in the general Israeli population.

Other factors in play

While the study doesn't draw any definitive conclusions, it presents some urgent questions, says Dr. Zachor. "It's too early to make a serious deduction based on that evidence alone," she says, citing other birth-related factors in her study, such as low birth rate and prematurity. Dr. Zachor's ongoing research will attempt to separate out these risk factors to come up with more precise numbers for autism and other prenatal conditions in IVF.

The key may be "imprinting," a biochemical procedure during cell division which determines which genes will be selected or "expressed" in the embryo. Research into epigenetics -- changes in gene expression that occur without a change in the DNA sequence -- suggest that the malformations may be caused by imprinting abnormalities introduced into the embryo while it's in a test tube environment, says Dr. Zachor. One such disorder linked with IVF appears to be Angelman syndrome.

However, Dr. Zachor does not want to discourage infertile couples from undergoing IVF implantation, which most often results in a healthy child.

Age-appropriate fertility treatments

Dr. Zachor notes that mothers in her study who had IVF tended to be older -- with a median age of 32.6 years. Also significantly, nearly 4% of the children with autism were born prematurely, and about 5% of those had a low birth weight. In the general population, only about 1% of all newborns are delivered with a low birth weight.

Aware of these risks, however, health practitioners may be able to intervene and find ways to avoid the problems, the researcher says. For example, they might recommend that IVF treatments be delayed for a longer period, despite any psychological stress this might cause to would-be parents. Some researchers believe that unassisted fertilization is a better way to avoid negative health effects.

"Many infertile couples choose this procedure, and they need to know whether there is a risk of autism," concludes Dr. Zachor. She stresses, however, that most women who undergo fertility treatments should not be scared away from IVF procedures: the majority of children born using IVF do not have autism, and most children who have autism were not conceived using IVF.

American Friends of Tel Aviv University (2010, June 14). IVF linked to autism, Israeli study suggests. ScienceDaily.

Read more about In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

Test-tube babies are almost twice as likely to suffer birth defects than children born naturally, according to the largest study of its kind.

Babies conceived through IVF have a significantly higher risk of being born with heart problems and malformed reproductive systems than those conceived naturally.

The scientists behind the shocking study called on fertility clinics to routinely warn prospective parents of the dangers - claiming that far too often, they are kept in the dark.

It follows a range of other studies which have found that IVF children are more likely to suffer from cerebral palsy and autism - while boys born through IVF are more likely to be infertile.

More than 120,000 children in the UK have been born using the technique since 1992. For the latest research, scientists carried out a survey of 33 French fertility centres, collecting data on more than 15,000 births from 2003 to 2007.

They found that 4.24 per cent of children born through IVF had some form of congenital deformity - compared to the rate for children conceived naturally of between 2 and 3 per cent. This would indicate that some 5,000 IVF babies in Britain may have been born with defects.

Study author Dr Geraldine Viot said: 'This higher rate was due in part to an excess of heart diseases and malformations of the urogenital system. This was much more common in boys. Among the minor malformations, we found a five times higher rate of angioma, benign tumours made up of small blood vessels on or near the surface of the skin.

'These occurred more than twice as frequently in girls than boys.' Dr Viot, a clinical geneticist at the Maternite Port Royal Hospital in Paris, called for more research to understand the reasons behind the increased risk, adding that 'a malformation rate of this magnitude is a public health issue'.

She said there could be a wide range of explanations, including infertility itself, ovarian stimulation, the maturing of eggs in the laboratory, or the ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection) technique which injects a single sperm into the egg.

'We just don't know at present,' she said. 'Finding this out will be a major step towards improving the health of children born after ART (assisted reproductive technology).

Last night Josephine Quintavalle, of campaign group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: 'Given the degree of unnatural manipulation involved in assisted reproduction, we should not be surprised that nature still does it better.

'Infertility treatment should focus much more on restoring natural fertility to patients and far less on engineering in the laboratory. Children deserve the best.'

A spokesman for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said: 'A study in France has shown that there is a small but clear increase in risks of congenital abnormalities in children born as a result of IVF or ICSI.

'It is important that patients are informed about this but not alarmed by it. 'We keep research of this kind under review and where it suggests there may be a greater risk we share this information with patients in a clear way to help them understand the risks associated with the choices they are making.'

Article: 14th June 2010 www.dailymail.co.uk

Read more about assisted reproductive methods such as home insemination and more natural ways of conceiving, before trying IVF.

A study into the attitudes of donor-conceived siblings has been published in the US. Said to be the first empirical study of its kind in the US, the report's authors - from The Commission on Parenthood's Future - surveyed nearly 500 donor-conceived adults aged between 18 and 45 aiming to feed into international debate on the ethics, meaning, and practice of donor conception.

The report, entitled 'My Daddy's Name is Donor' (the name was taken from a controversial T-shirt slogan produced by a company founded by two lesbian parents of a donor-conceived child), shows that although 45 per cent of donor offspring agreed with the statement 'the circumstances of my conception bother me' and that half expressed concerns or serious objections to donor conception itself, well over half (61 per cent) of donor offspring favour the practice and are far more likely than non-donor conceived adults to become donors themselves.

The findings also reported unease about payment for gametes with half the respondents being disturbed that money was involved in their conception. It also found that approximately two-thirds of respondents supported the right of donor-conceived offspring to obtain information about their biological father and to know his identity.

Co-investigator Karen Clark said in a press statement, 'This study reveals that when they are adults, sperm donor offspring struggle with serious losses from being purposefully denied knowledge of, or a relationship with, their sperm donor biological fathers.' It is estimated that between 30,000 to 60,000 conceptions occur following sperm donation every year in the US and that around one million Americans are donor-conceived. Although the industry is worth $3.3 billion annually, there are no statistical reporting requirements and very little empirical evidence about the practice.

Elizabeth Marquardt, co-author of the report and director of the Center for Marriage and Families at the Institute for American Values, said that the debate around reproductive technologies is 'dominated by adults' rights: the rights of same-sex couples, the rights of infertile adults, the rights of singles' and that children's interests are given insufficient weight. 'We also have to hear and respond to children's pain when they lose the ability to grow up with their own mom and dad, whether it's due to donor conception, or parental abandonment, or divorce,' she said.

Ross Douthat, writing in the New York Times, said that the study showed that donor-conceived Americans on one hand may be more supportive of the right of every person to have a child and encourage gamete donation, but that on the other hand they may also feel unease and disquiet about the circumstances of their own conception. This may explain, Douthat said, how donor-conceived offspring are more likely to oppose payment for eggs and sperm, and the provision of fertility treatment to single parents.

Article: 10th June 2010 Appeared in BioNews 562

Willing to donate to help others? looking for a sperm or egg donor? www.prideangel.com

JUNE 1, 2010

PRESS RELEASE

VIBRATION MEDIA UNVEIL GROUNDBREAKING MARKET-LEADING FERTILITY TITLE

Campaign media specialists VIBRATION MEDIA have just announced the launch of FERTILITY ROAD magazine, already installed as Europe’s number one fertility and pre-pregnancy title.

FERTILITY ROAD is a glossy, lifestyle-themed 68-page magazine designed to address the key issues surrounding female and male fertility, presented in a style and tone that is a world away from the stuffy, science-based material that dominates much of this subject area.

Issue One, launched at the end of April, 2010, comes with exclusive interview material from fertility expert Zita West, while model and actress Nancy Sorrell, wife of comedian Vic Reeves, is the cover star who, inside the magazine, talks in detail about her physical and emotional battles with IVF.

Other key features in the first issue include:

Misspent Youth… the real effects of alcohol, drugs and other vices
Man In The Mirror… the things men say about fertility, and the things they don’t
On The Fertility Road… travelling for treatment, the positives and the pitfalls
The Time Is Now… how to choose the right moment to start your family

PLUS:

Science… latest news and developments
Reader letters
Competitions

FERTILITY ROAD is a bi-monthly magazine, supported by free distribution to key fertility locations including clinics and ante-natal groups, plus paid-for circulation (cover price of £3.95).

Excerpts from all features, including the lead interview with Nancy Sorrell, are available for media sources wishing to leverage content, on the proviso that accreditation is offered.

For further information relating to editorial, marketing and advertising propositions involving FERTILITY ROAD magazine please visit www.fertilityroad.com

Dozens of women are aborting babies conceived by IVF because they have changed their minds about motherhood, figures suggest. Many are in their teens, twenties and early thirties, implying that numerous abortions were carried out for social reasons, rather than on health grounds. Relationship breakdowns, fears about motherhood and simple changes of heart are all likely to have played a part in the terminations.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority statistics, released by the IVF watchdog through the Freedom of Information Act, have angered family campaigners who accuse the women of treating babies like 'designer goods'. The revelation has also surprised fertility doctors who generally lose contact with patients after they become pregnant. Professor-Bill Ledger, a leading fertility doctor and member of the HFEA, said: 'I had no idea there were so many post-IVF abortions - and each one is a tragedy.'

He added: 'These women can't be surprised to be pregnant. You can't have an IVF pregnancy by accident.' The statistics show that an average of 80 abortions are carried out in England and Wales each year following IVF treatment. In 2007, the figure was as high as 97 - with almost a third of the women aged between 18 and 34.

Some of them would have had IVF on the NHS, while others would have paid thousands of pounds to private clinics. One woman told how she had an abortion after being pressurised into starting a family by her husband. Another opted to abort her much-wanted IVF baby when it became clear her marriage was breaking up.

Family planning experts estimate that every abortion doctor sees at least one patient a year requesting a termination after IVF treatment. Mohamed Taranissi, an IVF doctor whose clinic has the highest success rate in Britain, said: 'It is a matter that needs to be looked at. The HFEA should be more open with the data they have.' Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister, said that women who ended pregnancies for non-medical reasons were treating their babies like 'designer goods'.

She said: 'If the law was applied properly, people wouldn't be able to get an abortion just because they changed their minds.' Josephine Quintavalle, of campaign group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said the welfare of the child should take precedence over the wishes of the prospective parents.

But Ann Furedi, head of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said that some women could become so caught up in the IVF process that the realities of motherhood did not hit until they conceived. She said: 'For infertile people, overcoming the problem becomes a goal in itself. 'Sometimes it is only when women get pregnant that they can allow themselves to ask the question about whether it is what they really want or not.'

The HFEA said that it does not regulate abortions but that the figures represent less than 1 per cent of IVF pregnancies each year.A spokesman added: 'All patients who undergo IVF are assessed, as are the implications for any child that might be born, in advance of the decision to treat.' He added that figures showing how many of the abortions were carried out for medical reasons will be released later this week.

Article: 7th June 2010 www.dailymail.co.uk

Read more about IVF