A WOMAN who has been trying to start a family for eight years is devastated by news of policy changes which could mean the end of her hopes to have a baby.
Helen Williams, 33, has been waiting for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment on the NHS since last year.
She and her long-term partner have been forced to delay their attempts to get IVF until Ms Williams was within the necessary age range.
But because of planned changes to the rules for a test tube baby process, she may soon be too old to qualify, as she must lose weight first.
“I put this off until a certain age knowing that IVF will only be given to women from 35 to 38 in Oxfordshire, and now they are ruining my chances by lowering the ages to 30-34,” said Ms Williams of Springfield Avenue, Banbury.
For the full story see this week’s Banbury Guardian, but we want your views on IVF.
Should treatment be given free on the NHS? Should there be a limited age range or should it be extended to women aged 23 to 39? Comment now….
i am doing an assignment on IVF and it has taught me alot. Woman should beable to become pregnent even if she has got infertility. IVF age, limits woman to when they can or cannot have a baby and i think that the age limit should be expanded!!
thanks for your time
please consider this email
brooke
By: brooke on April 27, 2009
at 11:48 pm
It is quite confusing that they had it at 35 years in the first place and John Radcliffe IVF unit tells patients that it is more effective for women below 35, so why are they funding people with lower chances and making younger people wait till they have lesser chance of having a family??!!. There should be atleast 3 years of history of trying to conceive unsuccessfully and that should be your eligibility to get funding. We have tried IVF 3 times paying privately and are one of the lucky ones to be successful. We were below age limits then which means that we have a family now but no savings!!.
By: West bar on May 1, 2009
at 9:46 am