Tag: IVF for single women UK

In 2024, around 1 in 31 babies born in the UK were conceived through IVF. That is roughly one child in every classroom. Two decades ago, it was around 1 in 65. That single statistic, from the latest report by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), shows how mainstream fertility treatment has become. The HFEA’s report, Fertility treatment 2024: trends and figures, gives us the clearest picture of fertility treatment in the UK. It shows who is having treatment, how IVF is changing, and what outcomes look like. But the headline does not tell the whole story. IVF has become more common. Success rates have improved. More single people and same-sex couples are using fertility treatment to build families. Egg and embryo freezing now sit firmly within mainstream fertility planning. At the same time, access has become more unequal. NHS funding has fallen and regional access varies sharply. More patients now pay privately for some or all of their treatment. So, what does the latest HFEA data actually show, and what does it mean if you are thinking about your own fertility? Quick facts IVF is now behind 1 in 31 UK births The scale of the shift is hard to overstate. In 2024, around 21,400 babies were born through IVF in the UK, more than double the number born via IVF in 2004. IVF now accounts for around 3.2% of all UK births, compared with under 1.4% two decades ago. Part of what’s driving this is how common fertility challenges really are. The World Health Organization estimates that around 1 in 6 people worldwide experience infertility at some point in their lives. Add the well-established trend of people starting families late, and the fact that IVF success is tightly bound to age and rising demand represents more like a structural shift in how and when people build families. The number of IVF patients has almost tripled over 30 years. IVF is no longer a last resort for a small number of people. It now plays a central role in how families across the UK are built. So far, so encouraging. The catch is what the averages conceal, and the rest of the report is really a story about two things that still decide an individual’s odds: age and access. Success rates are climbing, but age is still the biggest factor There’s genuine progress here. The average IVF birth rate per embryo transferred rose from 20% in 2014 to 30% in 2024. Clinics are getting better at what they do. But the single most powerful variable remains age. In 2024, the birth rate per embryo transferred was: That’s not a small gap, it’s the difference between a strong chance and a long shot. It reflects something biology makes unavoidable: both the number and quality of eggs decline with age, and that decline accelerates from the mid-30s onwards. The report also lays bare disparities the averages hide. For patients aged 18–37 in 2022–24, the average birth rate per embryo transferred was around 30% for both Asian and Black patients, compared with 36% for White patients and 35% for those from a Mixed background. The HFEA is careful to note its data can’t explain why; the reasons likely span age at treatment, underlying health conditions, and social and economic factors. None of this means panicking in your 30s. It means fertility decisions get easier when you have information earlier. Understanding your ovarian reserve, cycle pattern and hormone profile early gives you time to plan. Finding out during an IVF workup at 40 usually means fewer options and far more pressure. Hertility’s Advanced Hormone & Fertility Test measures AMH, a key marker of ovarian reserve, alongside other reproductive and thyroid hormones. Based on your results, our clinical team builds you a personalised care plan with clear next steps. It’s a simple way to understand your fertility on your own timeline.  IVF treatment is changing, not just growing The rise in IVF isn’t only about more people having treatment,it’s about how they’re using it. Frozen embryo transfers now make up 48% of all IVF cycles, nearly double the 24% recorded in 2014. Almost half of all cycles now use frozen rather than fresh embryos. This is driven by better freezing techniques and more people storing embryos for future family-building.  Treatment has also become markedly safer. The average IVF multiple birth rate, twins and triplets, which carry higher risks for both patients and babies, including preterm birth, pre-eclampsia and stillbirth, fell from 14.4% in 2014 to just 3.2% in 2024, among the lowest rates in the world. This largely reflects the shift to single embryo transfer, used in 84% of UK embryo transfers in 2024. Crucially, birth rates kept improving even as multiple births fell is proof that safer IVF doesn’t have to mean less successful IVF. Taken together, these shifts show fertility treatment moving beyond immediate pregnancy. More and more, people are using it to preserve options, plan ahead and build families over time. Egg freezing is also on the rise in the UK Nowhere is that shift clearer than in fertility preservation. The number of people freezing eggs grew from around 700 in 2014 to 5,580 in 2024, though for the first time since 2020, the number of egg freezing cycles held steady rather than rising year-on-year. People freeze for all sorts of reasons: they’re not ready for children, haven’t met the right partner, are in a same-sex relationship, face medical treatment that could affect fertility, or simply want more choice. Whatever the reason, a few things are worth understanding before you start: At Hertility, we can provide a comprehensive fertility assessment that combines hormone blood testing with an ultrasound scan to build a more complete picture of your reproductive health. Blood tests can measure AMH and other key reproductive and thyroid hormones, while an antral follicle count (AFC) scan provides additional information by estimating the number of follicles in your ovaries. Neither blood tests nor scans can predict your future […]