Origin Fertility Care

General

• Are clinics licensed?

  The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is an executive Non-departmental Public Body (NDPB) that regulates and inspects all UK clinics providing IVF, donor insemination or the storage of eggs, sperm or embryos. Origin is licensed by HFEA and we are subject to regular inspection by this body. HFEA’s main tasks are to:
  
  • License and monitor clinics that carry out in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and donor insemination;
  • License and monitor research centres undertaking human embryo research; and
  • Regulate the storage of gametes and embryos.
  • Publish success rates of licensed Clinics
  
  HFEA publishes a Code of Practice for infertility clinics, maintains a register of information about donors, treatments and children born as a result of those treatments and provides advice and information to patients, donors and clinics in the UK. For more information about the HFEA, click here.

• Are there any other options?

  Yes - look carefully at your lifestyle. You are less likely to conceive if either partner is overweight. For women, being underweight can also reduce the chances of conception. Exercise promotes healthy immune and circulatory systems, both of which help conception, but too much exercise can reduce a woman’s fertility. The lack of folic acid in the diet may also be a cause.
  
  Alcohol can also be a barrier to pregnancy. Excess alcohol consumption has been associated with a decline in female fertility and can seriously reduce the male production of normal sperm. Male smokers in their 30s and 40s have a 50 per cent increased risk of impotence, while women smokers reduce likelihood of conception by around 40 per cent.
  
  A new factor is emerging as a growing cause of infertility – chlamydia – now the most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK. Around half of infected men are symptom-free but will still infect their partner. About 70 per cent of women have no symptoms and won’t know they are infected until they seek treatment for something like infertility.
  
  For a surprising number of people, a change in lifestyle can result in the birth of a baby.

• Can multiple births occur?

  In the early days of fertility drugs doctors were not always sure of the doses to use and many of the women using the drugs had multiple pregnancies because more than one egg was released and fertilised at the same time. Twins did not cause too many problems, but far more people than expected had triplets, quads or even more babies and regrettably, the survival rate of some of these tiny babies was poor. But with today’s increased knowledge of the way fertility drugs work and control of the dosage, large multiple pregnancies are now very rare indeed. The fact that the HFEA permits the transfer of a maximum of 2 embryos for most patients has greatly reduced the incidence of multiple pregnancy.

• How do we get help?

  General practitioners (GPs) or practice nurses are the first point of contact with couples trying to conceive. Their experience in dealing with infertility issues may vary, but they can help in identifying specific factors that might impact on your ability to conceive; like medical, obstetric, contraceptive and lifestyle history. They can also undertake or arrange some basic tests.
  
  A semen analysis can identify or eliminates a number of the most common barriers to conception. Origin can perform a semen analysis and consultation in one visit and this will confirm or eliminate a number of the most common infertility causes, allowing rapid access to more appropriate treatment.
  
  If you and your partner want to contact Origin, you will need a letter of referral from your GP. If you wish you may contact us directly and we can provide you with a form for your GP to sign. Once we have received this letter an appointment will be made for you to have an initial consultation with one of our consultants.

• How much will treatment cost?

  Cost varies greatly from couple to couple depending on the treatment required, but we advise our couples precisely what their options are and how much each stage will cost before your treatment begins.

• How successful are IVF and ICSI?

  IVF and ICSI treatment should not be considered to be a single treatment solution. Patients should be prepared to go through at least 3 to 4 cycles to give themselves a fair chance of becoming pregnant as the likelihood of conception is cumulative. For example, with 4 treatment cycles, the chance of getting pregnant is about 70 %. What this means, is that even though the chance of getting pregnant in a single cycle may never be more than 40%, over 4 cycles, the cumulative success rate increases to 70%.
  
  Theoretically, therefore every couple undertaking IVF treatment should get pregnant - provided they were willing to go through as many cycles as were required. Unfortunately this is only a statistical probability and nature can - and occasionally does – disappoint. Patients have to be prepared to set a limit to the number of cycles they undertake, but the decision when to stop is one that only the couple can make for themselves. However, after more than 6 failed IVF cycles, the chance for a pregnancy with IVF declines.

• What are In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and ICSI?

  In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the scientific name given to the process with is used to conceive a child outside the body. During the IVF process, an egg is removed from the woman’s ovary and is then fertilised with her partner’s sperm. The fertilised egg and sperm will then be inserted back into the patient through the cervix. IVF is often the only means of achieving a pregnancy for women whose fallopian tubes are blocked.

• What is infertility and what causes it?

  Infertility is inability to become pregnant. Couples under 35 who have not conceived after more than 12 months of sexual intercourse without contraception and those over 35 who have not conceived after 6 months of intercourse without contraception may have infertility problems and should seek professional advice. About one in six couples in the UK have problems achieving pregnancy.
  
  About a third of infertility instances relate to female factors, a third to male factors, and the other third may be a combination of both or involve other external causes, like environment or lifestyle. Infertility is no-one’s fault and partners should see infertility is a shared problem.
  
  Infertility is not necessarily permanent and is frequently treatable, but infertility rarely goes away without professional help.
  
  Determining the reason for infertility will require each couple to undergo tests to find out if the man is producing normal sperm; if his partner’s fallopian tubes and uterus are normal; and if she is producing eggs. Only after undergoing these tests will your doctor or clinician you know why you are not conceiving. Only then can they help you decide on the best solution.

• What other treatments are there?

  For many people, the most appropriate treatment for infertility is IVF. But when a couple first have fertility problems, the way they are treated will not always involve IVF.
  
  For many couples, simple changes in lifestyle can make conception possible (see What about other solutions?), while another common way of treating fertility problems involves fertility drugs. One of the main reasons women fail to get pregnant is because they do not produce mature eggs. Fertility drugs are chemicals that work in different ways to stimulate the woman's body to produce and release a mature egg from the ovary.
  
  Some drugs fool the body into stimulating the production of eggs by the ovaries, while other fertility drugs can be used if the mature eggs are not released from the ovaries.
  
  The use of these drugs has been very successful in helping many infertile couples to have children.

• What professional qualifications should we look for?

  Approval, experience, treatments and availability. Your preferred clinic or practitioner should be HFEA approved, experienced in the range of treatments – from semen analysis to IVF, and egg donation/sharing – and have the capacity and availability to see you whenever you need them.
  
  Ask your GP, look at the HFEA on-line database or check out the experience of other couples – clinics should have referrals or testimonials available for inspection. Meet clinic staff and interview THEM and don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions, like what are their success rates for couples with your diagnosis or couples your age.
  
  HFEA’s Code of Practice gives details of the kind of information that clinics should give to the patients – read this on the HFEA website. Before you start your treatment, ask the clinic about the services and treatment they propose, the risks involved (if any), what it will cost (including any ‘extras’ like drugs)’ the clinics previous live birth rates and complaints procedure.
  
  This information should be comprehensive and easy to understand and staff at should be able to explain any point that is unclear.

• What should we beware of?

  Beware of unregulated ‘fertility specialists’ who make promises and guarantee successful pregnancies. Beware of GPs who ignore your concerns, who tell you to go away and keep trying (after more than 12 months of unprotected intercourse of you are under 35) or tell you they know what's best for you. Beware of clinics that won’t tell you about costs and explain in detail proposed procedures and clinics where you never see the same staff twice. Beware of becoming complacent; visit authoritative and independent websites and keep up to date with infertility issues.

• When choosing a clinic, should I choose the one with the highest live birth rate?

  Not necessarily. Many factors contribute to a clinic's results including the range of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) it offers and the criteria for allowing treatment. A clinic's success rate may also vary from year-to-year with the introduction of new reproductive technologies.
  
  Success rates can be affected by factors that include:
  
  • Genetic factors;
  • Age of the female partner;
  • Quality of eggs and number of eggs recovered;
  • Quality of sperm (including motility and ability to penetrate the egg);
  • Quality control in the laboratories; and
  • The skill and competence of the treatment team.
  
  Some clinics see more patients with difficult infertility problems, even though the probability of achieving success is low, while others refuse such patients and only treat those with a high probability of achieving a pregnancy. Clinics that welcome all patients, even those who have been unsuccessful elsewhere, will probably have lower success rates than those who refuse to accept patient that are, say over 38 years of age. Because results published by the HFEA refer to ‘live birth rates’ they are 2 years old. If you are considering attending a clinic for treatment ask for current pregnancy rates as well.

• Will the NHS pay for my infertility treatment?

  Since April 2005, women between the ages of 23 and 39 are able to get one free IVF cycle on the NHS. However, one cycle may not be enough (See How successful are IVF ICSI?).
  
  In addition, there are further eligibility criteria in Northern Ireland; for example, priority is currently given to couples without children (whether in their current, or in previous relationships).
  
  To find out whether your treatment can be paid for by the NHS, you need to speak to your GP.

• Glossary