Demand for private fertility treatments in UK more than doubles in one year

Enquiries from UK patients into private fertility treatments have more than doubled (up 112%) in the past 12 months alone, according to new research from private healthcare search engine, WhatClinic.com.

Topping the list of the most popular treatments in the UK is egg freezing which, in the past 12 months alone, has seen a 407% increase in enquiries. Whilst the treatment is offered to those undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or for those who object to storing embryos for religious or moral reasons, it is also sought by those who wish to postpone childbearing. Of all UK users searching for this treatment in the past 12 months, 43% were between the ages of 25 and 34 and more than one in 10 (12.8%) were aged 18 to 24.*

Nearly half (49.3%) of all traffic to UK fertility clinics in the past year was from those between the ages of 25 and 34, compared with just 38.5% the year before.**

Increasing numbers of women are seeking fertility testing privately, with UK enquiries into these treatments skyrocketing by 242% in the past year alone. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) – a procedure which separates fast-moving sperm from the more sluggish or non-moving, to be placed in the womb close to the time of ovulation – has also seen a surge in enquiries. These have almost tripled (up 188%) in just 12 months. Closely following this in terms of demand is embryo donation, with more people seeking the donation of remaining embryos from couples who have undergone IVF, which has seen a sharp 183% rise in enquiries in one year.

Private IVF treatment has also seen a rise in demand, with enquiries up 161% in the past year. Whilst the NHS can fund the treatment, only three rounds are offered to women under the age of 40,*** which explains why, for some couples seeking this treatment, going private is the only option.

The following table shows the average costs of fertility treatments in the UK, as well as the change in demand over the past year:

Private Treatment	% change in enquiries over past 12 months	Average price UK (£)
Egg Freezing	407%	£2,084
Fertility Test	242%	£362
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)	188%	£718
Embryo Donation	183%	£1,942
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)	161%	£2,256
Artificial Insemination	137%	£988
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)	89%	£3,279
Egg Donor	68%	£2,623
Fertility Specialist Consultation	40%	£163
Sperm Assessment	15%	£125
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)	5%	£3,480
Sperm Freezing	-9%	£380

There’s also growing numbers of Brits seeking fertility procedures at overseas clinics. Egg freezing has not only seen the largest increase in enquiries in the UK, but also abroad. Spain has developed an international reputation as an IVF destination, and UK patients are following this trend with enquiries into egg freezing at Spanish clinics up by 867% in the past 12 months. More UK patients are also seeking IUI treatments there too, with enquiries in the last year rising by 250%.

With private IVF typically costing £2,256 per round in the UK, it’s easy to see why people are shopping around. Other top overseas locations for this are Greece, Cyprus and the Czech Republic, all of which offer cheaper IVF than the UK. IVF treatment in the Czech Republic, which has seen the highest volume of fertility enquiries to overseas clinics from the UK in the past year, costs £735 per session on average, less than a third of the cost of the same treatment at home.

The following table shows the fertility treatments overseas that have seen the largest increase in enquiries from Brits over the past year, as well as the price difference to the UK:

Treatment	Country of clinic	Increase in enquiries (%)	Average cost UK (£)	Average cost local (£)	Savings in cost vs UK (£)
Egg Freezing	Spain	867%	£2,084	£1,887	£197
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)	Greece	412%	£2,256	£2,173	£83
Egg Donor	India	280%	£2,623	£1,353	£1,270
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)	Spain	250%	£718	£584	£134
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)	Cyprus	200%	£2,256	£1,845	£411
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)	Cyprus	173%	£3,480	£3,874	-£394
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)	Czech Republic	162%	£3,279	£198	£3,081
Fertility Specialist Consultation	Turkey	115%	£163	£85	£78
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)	Czech Republic	64%	£2,256	£735	£1,521
Fertility Specialist Consultation	Bulgaria	61%	£163	£13	£150
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)	South Africa	50%	£2,256	£1,789	£467
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)	Poland	44%	£2,256	£1,135	£1,121
Artificial Insemination	Spain	18%	£988	£594	£394

 

Gynaecologist Mr Kiron Bhal, of Cardiff-based Infiniti Healthcare, comments: “More women are pursuing careers and delaying childbirth to later in life which can lead to difficulties conceiving. 

“I am seeing an increasing number of women requesting egg freezing in their 20s and 30s, and choosing to have an IVF cycle when they are in a settled relationship, so there is a trend emerging of younger women, aware they may choose to have children at a later, and less fertile, time of life seeking treatment while they are still young.”

Emily Ross, director of WhatClinic.com, comments: “The cost of private fertility treatment is considerable, especially for those who are not immediately successful. The NHS  does provide IVF but provision is limited. A broad variety of social and economic factors are influencing the increase in demand for private fertility treatment, including egg freezing, demand for embryo donation and IVF.

“Medical tourism has flourished for fertility treatment but, unlike dental work or plastic surgery, cost is not the main driver for looking further afield. While there are significant savings to be made, savvy consumers also travel to avail of the groundbreaking techniques, and to work with worldwide experts at clinics with the highest success rates.

“Fertility treatment can be an emotional, frustrating and expensive process. Finding a clinic that can support you, and deliver the best results while also remaining affordable is no easy thing.”