The number of single women in the UK undergoing fertility treatment to start a family has more than trebled in a decade, a report has revealed.
In total, 4,800 women without a partner had in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or donor insemination (DI) treatment in 2022. This represents a 243% increase from the 1,400 single women who had fertility treatment in 2012, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
With 400 single women undergoing fertility treatment every month, it means they now receive almost one in 10 of all fertility treatments (9%) administered in the UK, up from 4% in 2012.
The number of women in a same-sex couple having fertility treatment has more than doubled, up from 1,300 a year in 2012 to 3,300 in 2022, according to the UK’s fertility regulator.
The number of women in a heterosexual couple having treatment has also increased, but only slightly in the last decade, from 45,300 to 47,000.
“While most fertility treatments in the UK are among opposite-sex couples, the number of female same-sex couples and single patients undergoing fertility treatments is increasing year on year,” the 17-page report says.
“The treatment these patient groups receive is also changing, with a notable shift from DI use to IVF. There are, however, disparities in access to treatment between different family types due to lower levels of NHS funding.”
The HFEA report also details how egg freezing has become “one of the fastest growing treatments”. Between 2018 and 2022, most of the women in the UK who stored eggs for future use were single, making up 89% of all egg freezing cycles.
Just one in 10 (10%) egg-freezing treatments were among heterosexual couples, but this group was far more likely to thaw eggs for treatment compared with single women.
Most of the women thawing eggs for treatment were in a heterosexual relationship (85%), followed by single women (13%) and women in a same-sex couple (2%).
Single women were an average of 36 when they started IVF, with couples starting treatment at a slightly younger age, according to the report. Almost nine in 10 (89%) IVF treatments in 2022 were undergone by women in a heterosexual couple, the HFEA said.
The report also detailed how in 2022, one in six IVF cycles among lesbians was so-called “reciprocal IVF”, where one woman carries an embryo created from their partner’s egg.
The HFEA said that IVF funding was least common for single patients and female same-sex couples compared with heterosexual couples in 2022.
Callout
About 16% of lesbian couples and 18% of single patients had NHS funding for their first IVF treatment, compared with 52% of heterosexual couples aged 18 to 39, the report found. The levels of funding varied across the UK, it said.
Julia Chain, chair of the HFEA, said: “In the UK, different family groups can access a wide range of reproductive options when starting their fertility journey.
“While the number of female same-sex couples and single patients having fertility treatment continues to rise, we continue to see lower rates of NHS-funded treatment.
“While the HFEA does not regulate funding, we encourage those who commission fertility services to review their eligibility criteria and consider whether these have an adverse impact on access to treatment and we hope that this report will generate further discussion.
“We also encourage healthcare providers to make sure the information they provide represents the diversity of families and patients accessing treatment, so that everyone can receive an inclusive experience.”
Responding to the report, Sharon Martin, the interim chief executive of Fertility Network UK, said: “Fertility services are vital in supporting the development of different family structures and Fertility Network welcomes the increased diversity in family formation in the UK.
“However, it is disappointing that many female same-sex couples and single women still face an enormous financial hurdle to ‘prove’ their infertility before being able to access NHS-funded IVF.”
For the first time, the report also highlighted the proportion of families who were using surrogacy. In 2022, heterosexual couples accounted for 39% of surrogacy cycles, with “other family types” making up 61%.
