{"id":104648,"date":"2022-11-17T17:09:44","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T15:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ivi.uk\/?p=104648"},"modified":"2024-03-28T16:01:20","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T14:01:20","slug":"women-under-30-ivf-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ivi.uk\/blog\/women-under-30-ivf-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Is infertility becoming less of a taboo?"},"content":{"rendered":"
IVI recently commissioned a nationwide survey of women aged 25 – 45<\/a> to illustrate the many different perspectives, concerns and motivations towards motherhood. One section of our study asked questions about infertility and fertility treatment.<\/p>\n In natural conception, a sperm cell fertilises an egg that has been released from the ovary during the ovulation cycle. To do this, sperm must enter the female reproductive tract and begin a long journey towards the fallopian tubes. There’s a relatively short window of time (between 5 – 7 days) where fertilisation can take place. If fertilised, the egg becomes a single cell known as a zygote<\/strong>. As the zygote travels the fallopian tube, it divides into two cells, two cells into four, four into eight in a process of rapid cleavage<\/strong> (cell division). By the time it reaches the uterus, it’s a bundle made up of hundreds of cells known as a blastocyst<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The inner cell mass of the blastocyst contains the genetic code that will allow a baby to grow. It’s protected by a thick outer layer called the zona pellucida<\/strong>. As it enters the womb, the blastocyst must ‘hatch’ from its protective layer to attach to the womb lining, which has thickened in preparation thanks to a surge in reproductive hormones. In the weeks after it attaches, the embryo implants deeper into the endometrium as it develops into a pregnancy.<\/p>\n Assisted reproductive technology (ART) bypasses certain steps in natural conception by allowing these processes to take place outside of the body. It is designed to help people who cannot conceive naturally. The most established fertility treatment is In Vitro Fertilisation<\/a>, or IVF. ‘In vitro<\/em>‘ comes from Latin, meaning ‘within the glass<\/em>‘. In this case, ‘in vitro fertilisation’ refers to the mixing of an egg with sperm to facilitate fertilisation and create an embryo inside a laboratory.<\/p>\n “In a natural cycle, women are likely to produce one egg each month, which explains why most of us will have a singleton pregnancy. IVF is a treatment that helps women to develop a multiple number of eggs that can be collected and mixed with sperm so embryos can be created and, if necessary, stored for later use<\/em>,” explains Dr Mireia Galian<\/a>, IVF Consultant at IVI London<\/a>. “It is important to understand that IVF is not only a treatment. It’s also a very interesting opportunity to assess the quality of the eggs and the sperm, and how well they work together to create a baby.<\/em>“<\/p>\n Although it may seem somewhat straightforward, the process of conception is complex: there are many things that influence if, and how, a pregnancy develops. Some of the most common include:<\/p>\n While female reproductive disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis are among the most common, 1 in 3 couples struggle to conceive due to low sperm count<\/a>. In fact, around half of all infertility cases are caused by a male factor.<\/p>\n Today, fertility treatment is an increasingly common form of family creation. In the UK, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)<\/a> reports nearly 70,000 IVF cycles were performed in 2019<\/a>, with the proportion of cycles undertaken by women over 40 doubling since 1991.<\/p>\n This is also reflected in the findings of our survey. While nearly two thirds of respondents know or knew someone who had undertaken fertility treatment, more than 1 in 10 (13.4%)<\/strong> had direct experience themselves. But perhaps the most interesting finding was that the majority of respondents said they would have fertility treatment, if they needed it, in the future. This proportion was significantly higher among women under 30 (73.8%) <\/strong>versus women between 35 – 39 (49%)<\/strong>, indicating a more positive attitude of younger generations towards ART.<\/p>\n “Our survey shows that the stigma<\/span> surrounding IVF is lessening. People are talking about fertility struggles with their friends and family \u2013 it is no longer marked with the stigma it once was<\/em>,” comments Dr Cesar Diaz-Garcia, Medical Director of IVI London<\/a>.<\/p>\n “However, we still have a way to go. IVI created a movement in 2021 called the \u2018Language of Fertility<\/a>\u2019 where we asked women who had experienced infertility to share with us comments from friends, family members, the media and even healthcare professionals that had caused them emotional distress.<\/em> We then proposed a new vocabulary and encouraged society to \u2018pledge\u2019 to do better.<\/em>“<\/p>\n “Despite the World Health Organisation (WHO)<\/a> recognising infertility as a disease<\/a>, it\u2019s clear that women experiencing it are not often given the same care and consideration as women with other medical conditions,<\/em>” adds Dr Diaz.<\/p>\n Another positive finding from the research is that people are talking more openly about infertility. Among the women surveyed, more than half (65.3%)<\/strong> knew someone who has had difficulty conceiving, the majority being close friends.<\/p>\n A multiple pregnancy, such as a twin pregnancy, is one of the biggest dangers to babies conceived through IVF. In addition to an increased likelihood of being born prematurely, around 40% of newborn twins require immediate attention in intensive care<\/a>. Studies also show twins are significantly more likely to be affected by birth defects<\/a> compared to singleton pregnancies. All multiple pregnancies, whether twins, triplets or a higher-multiple, are automatically classified as high risk.<\/p>\n Due to the common practice of transferring more than embryo to the uterus at a time, IVF is known for carrying a higher risk of a multiple pregnancy. Based on our survey data, this is common knowledge to many women: the vast majority (80.4%)<\/strong> agreed you’re more likely to have twins with IVF.<\/p>\n It is important to remember this is not always the case. At IVI, we promote a Single Embryo Transfer (SET) policy<\/a> to ensure we provide the safest treatment for both mother and baby. We are proud to achieve a multiple pregnancy rate that’s ten times lower than the UK national average<\/strong>. Learn more about our SET policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nearly three quarters of women (73.9%) under 30 would have IVF in the future if they needed it New research shows positive signs that infertility and fertility treatment are becoming less of a taboo in the UK IVI recently commissioned a nationwide survey of women aged 25 – 45 to illustrate the many different perspectives,… View Article<\/a>","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":104718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15,17],"tags":[295,220,343],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNatural conception \u2013 step-by-step<\/h2>\n
How does assisted reproductive technology (ART) work?<\/h2>\n
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Assisted reproduction \u2013 how much do you know?<\/h2>\n
Twin pregnancies and fertility treatment<\/h2>\n