I V F
Women could face IVF 'rationing'
Tens of thousands of women face having their fertility treatment rationed amid fears over multiple births which can put the lives of mothers and babies at risk.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is considering sanctions for clinics that produce too many sets of twins or triplets.
A 10 per cent cap on the rate of twins, from the total number of live births each year, could be introduced for UK centres.
Possible sanctions include clinics having their "non-compliance" with the target brought up at licence renewal meetings.
Options being examined over a three-month period by the HFEA focus on the use of "single embryo transfers", where one embryo is transferred per IVF cycle.
At present, doctors have more of a free rein over the numbers transferred but women are not usually given more than two embryos per cycle.
Under the proposals, most women would receive only one embryo at a time but older women or those with particularly poor chances of conceiving could still receive two.
Yacoub Khalaf, reproductive medicine consultant and lead clinician for the assisted conception unit at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London, said his clinic was "already achieving great successes by replacing only single embryos in many of our suitable patients".
He added: "In the last year our overall pregnancy rate has risen and our multiple pregnancy rate has been reduced."
THIS WAS PUT ON VIRGIN MEDIA.COM
im like probably millions of other women waiting to be treated for ivf and bored with the excuses the doctors keep giving us well i want to fight back and it want to start by saying that i would like as many people who knows someone or if you are having the treament yourself to get intouch with me and if you are due for one of them appointments today good luck plus my reason for this is i want to start up my own help line where people who are going through the ivf treatment can talk with others who are either scared or cant get the courage to ask something and might find it easier talking to someone on the net
