People struggling with infertility take very different views on the medical evidence around treatment and need personally tailored support from doctors to make informed choices, according to research by Queen Mary University of London newly published in the peer-reviewed journal Sociology of Health and Illness.
Over 50,000 people have fertility treatment every year in the UK, and an estimated 70% of these use controversial ‘add-ons’ that promise to increase their chances of having a baby but aren’t supported by solid evidence. Most fertility treatment in the UK is paid for privately, at prices from £3-5,000 for a standard IVF cycle to more than £20,000 with certain add-ons, so it’s vital that patients can make decisions based on medical evidence rather than healthcare marketing. (UK Government data from the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority’s latest national trends report (published May 2021)
Private fertility care providers are often accused of manipulating vulnerable patients for financial gain, following a BBC Panorama film about IVF clinics selling unproven or risky add-ons. However, research led by Queen Mary’s School of Business and Management tells a different story: While some patients prefer to delegate decisions to their doctors, others actively assess add-ons and decide to take risks, especially when fertility treatment has not worked in the past.