Almost three-quarters of people undergoing fertility treatment in the UK are using “unproven extras” to increase their chances of having a baby, despite little evidence that they work.
The findings, from the UK’s fertility watchdog, mean that about 40,000 people a year wanting to conceive are spending money on acupuncture, supplements and drugs, even though they are largely unproven.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) issued the caution in its latest annual national patient survey, which captures patients’ experiences of NHS and private fertility care.
Overall, 73% of patients are using at least one additional test, treatment or emerging technology when undergoing IVF or donor insemination treatment, the survey of 1,500 people showed.
Extra treatments can cost up to £1,500, though some – such as mineral and vitamin supplements – are less expensive but can still cost £25 for 30 days’ supply.
The regulator has been trying since 2017 to reduce the use of such extra treatments “since almost all remain unproven in increasing the chance of having a baby for most patients”.
More than half (52%) of patients who opted to pay for what the HFEA calls an “unproven extra” did so after discussing with their doctor how effective it was likely to be. Even more (59%) went ahead based on their clinic’s recommendation, the HFEA found.
The regulator voiced concern about the fact that “only 37% of patients said their clinics explained the risks of using an additional test, treatment or emerging technology”.
“It’s disappointing to see a significant number of patients are still using add-ons and emerging technologies, and particularly disappointing that only half of patients had the effectiveness explained to them, let alone the risks”, said Julia Chain, the HFEA’s chair.
The most commonly used extra (39%) was additional drugs or supplements. Supplements included coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant produced naturally by the body, also found in meat, fish and nuts, which depletes with ageing. Some people say that using it can enhance the quality of the egg.
Acupuncture (27%) was the second most popular extra, followed by time-lapse imaging and incubation (26%). About 7% of patients used nutritional therapy, nutritionists and dieticians.
About 55,500 people in the UK had fertility treatment in 2022, the latest year for which figures are available. The vast majority – 52,500 – had IVF and 3,000 had donor insemination.
The more cycles of treatment a person has had, the likelier they are to have used an add-on. While 86% of those who had had five cycles used an add-on, 62% of those who underwent one cycle did so.
Use of endometrial scratching, in which the lining of the womb is “scratched” before the embryo is implanted, has declined in recent years.
However, use of pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), whereby embryos are checked for chromosomal abnormalities, has increased, “despite there being insufficient evidence of its effectiveness at improving treatment outcomes”, the HFEA said. It is most used by patients aged 40-42 and by those living in London.
The HFEA regularly reminds clinics to give patients a clear idea of the cost involved in any treatment add-on and how likely it was to increase their chances of success. “We will continue to remind clinics about improving clarity and communication for patients”, Chain added.
The watchdog also disclosed that:
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Some patients are facing increasingly long waits for care, of up to two years, especially for NHS fertility treatment.
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51% of patients who used donor sperm got it from abroad, where rules on the maximum number of families that can be created by one donor are looser than in the UK.
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While 73% of patients are satisfied with their fertility treatment, Asian and black patients are less likely to be satisfied.
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “It is unacceptable fertility patients are being offered unnecessary treatments that will not help them in their goal of becoming parents. We are working to improve access to NHS fertility services for all who need it. We are also currently considering advice from the HFEA about priorities for law reform covering their regulatory powers, including their potential role in digital clinics.”
