Rising number of single women turn to IVF to become mums

Latest figures indicate a surge in single women opting for parenthood on their own, with data pointing to a tripling of single women using in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) services.

According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), 6% of IVF cycles in 2022 were undertaken by single women, up from 2% a decade earlier, in 2012. The sheer number of solo women embarking on IVF or donor insemination has leapfrogged from 1,400 to 4,800 over a 10-year span.

Egg freezing, a method allowing women to preserve their fertility prospects, is hailed as one of the "fasting growing" areas within fertility treatments, per a fresh HFEA report. In the period from 2018 to 2022, the majority choosing to freeze their eggs were single women, accounting for 89% of such procedures.

In contrast, just one in 10 egg freezing treatments involved heterosexual couples who were more inclined to thaw eggs for subsequent use compared with their single counterparts. The typical age for single women kicking off IVF stood at 36, slightly older than couples beginning similar treatment. Opposite-sex couples represented the bulk (89%) of IVF treatments in 2022, yet single women and lesbian couples witnessed the highest successful birth rates post-treatment.

Lesbians engaging in IVF often opted for "reciprocal IVF" – an approach where one partner undergoes pregnancy with an embryo derived from the other's egg, comprising one in six such cycles last year. Notably, the 2022 HFEA data also spotlighted that access to IVF funding was comparatively less frequent for single and female same-sex couples than it was for heterosexual pairs.

The report found that only 16% of lesbian couples and 18% of single patients received NHS funding for their first IVF treatment, compared to 52% of heterosexual couples aged between 18-39. Julia Chain, the chairwoman of the HFEA, said: "In the UK, different family groups can access a wide range of reproductive options when starting their fertility journey."

She added: "While the number of female same-sex couples and single patients having fertility treatment continues to rise, we continue to see lower rates of NHS-funded treatment."

Ms Chain urged healthcare providers to ensure their information represents the diversity of families and patients accessing treatment, so everyone can receive an inclusive experience. The report also revealed the proportion of families using surrogacy for the first time. In 2022, heterosexual couples accounted for 39% of surrogacy cycles, with "other family types" making up the remaining 61%.

Sarah Lambert, head of policy at Gingerbread, the charity supporting single-parent families, said: "Families come in all shapes and sizes and we know that the biggest differences in children’s wellbeing are down to the quality of relationships and not family structure."

She voiced her disappointment at persistent discrimination against single parents, adding, "It’s therefore disappointing to see discrimination against single parents persist and we welcome the calls from the HFEA to ensure that families in all their diversity are represented and supported at each point of the IVF journey."