According to this, one in six of all private or NHS fertility treatments in the UK are used by single women or female couples A report from the fertility regulator,

The number of single women undergoing these treatments, including in-vitro fertilization (IVF), is expected to increase from 1,400 in 2012 to 4,800 in 2022, while the number of female couples undergoing the treatment has doubled to 3,300 over the same period.

Heterosexual couples still account for approximately 90% of all IVF treatments.

Many female couples and single women still face huge financial barriers to proving their infertility before being able to access NHS-funded IVF, a fertility charity said.

The Human and Fertilization Embryology Authority (HFEA) reports that heterosexual couples were expected to have 47,000 IVF or donor insemination (DI) treatments in 2022, up from 45,300 in 2012.

While increasing numbers of different family groups are seeking fertility treatments, NHS funding for these treatments continues to fall.

Only 27% of IVF cycles are paid for by the NHS, down from 40% in 2012.

According to the HFEA, 86% of these NHS-funded cycles are for 18-39 year olds undergoing their first treatment.

Heterosexual couples in this situation receive 52% of NHS-funded cycles, with female couples receiving 16% and single women receiving 18% – both marginal increases.

The HFEA report says IVF is “one of the most invasive and expensive treatments per cycle”.

But more female couples and single women are choosing it for several reasons, including:

• high birth rate per cycle
• Risk of twin pregnancy reduced
• Possibility of storing embryos for future treatment

Reciprocal IVF, where one partner provides the eggs (fertilized by the donor’s sperm) and the other gives birth to the baby, is also becoming more popular.

Overall, one in four IVF treatments resulted in the birth of a child, the report found.

But IVF birth rates are higher among single women and female couples, who are less likely to seek treatment because of infertility problems, than among heterosexual couples, who may also wait for other treatments.

The likelihood of qualifying for NHS funding depends on where patients live.

In England, NHS funding depends on criteria set by local integrated care boards, which vary widely – while in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is a national policy.

In Scotland, 78% of IVF cycles are funded by the NHS, compared to 53% in Wales and 45% in England.

But Scotland does not fund fertility treatment for single women.

The previous government said it would remove barriers to treatment for female couples in England, who in most areas must pay for at least six cycles of artificial insemination before being accepted for NHS-funded IVF. Does matter.

But the charity Fertility Network UK said: “This has not yet happened, leaving lesbian couples and single women who want to become parents to pay for their own medical treatment, if they are able.”

Stonewall, which advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, said urgent change is needed so that all people wanting to have children have equal access to services

The HFEA said it encouraged healthcare providers to “ensure that the information they provide represents the diversity of families and patients accessing treatment”.