On-the-pulse fertility treatment options in the UK – from inclusive care to fertility preservation, here’s how to navigate

If you’re looking for the latest fertility treatment options in the UK – and especially when you’re searching for a clinic with a comprehensive, up-to-date offering that truly understands and respects your unique journey – you’ll find a lot of varying information out there. 

The latest advice and guidance on getting started always come best from the experts. And for this, we turn to UK-wide clinic network TFP Fertility, every time. 

TFP Fertility has been at the forefront of fertility treatment in the UK for more than three decades. And if you’re just beginning to explore your options, their approach promises to meet your needs with compassion, expertise, and respect.

We caught up with Lewis Urwin, General Manager of TFP Simply Fertility in Chelmsford, for the very latest on their inclusive, full-service treatment options, and some pointers for what to ask to get the ball rolling.

What are some of the latest fertility treatment options people are looking for right now?

Fertility preservation

One of the most positive things that I see happening at the moment is the increase in discussions about fertility preservation, in the media and online. 

This is a really important topic that doesn’t get talked about enough, and certainly not as early in a person’s life as it should be. 

Whether that’s egg, sperm or embryo freezing, preserving your fertility gives you options around family building and fertility treatment in the future.

There’s no official age limit for IVF treatment in the UK, but women aged over 45 aren’t usually recommended to undergo IVF with their own eggs. So considering fertility preservation, or alternatively donor conception, means you’ll always have a pathway available to you.

Donor IVF

Speaking of donor conception, the demand for IVF with donor eggs and sperm is also on the rise in the UK. 

According to the HEFA, this increase has been driven predominantly by single patients and patients in female same-sex relationships, and it’s something people quite rightly have a lot of questions about.

There are more and more donor treatment options becoming available, from double donation to embryo donation, and we know that it’s a pathway that can be complex for so many.

Making sure patients are able to make informed decisions about all aspects of the process is really important.

How does TFP Fertility ensure that its testing and treatment options are up-to-date?

At TFP Fertility, our network of clinics is committed to delivering tailored, on-the-pulse treatment options that reflect what people are asking for.

This looks like sharing best practices across clinics, and continually developing our processes to improve treatment outcomes and success for all patients.

We ensure our experienced team is always at the forefront of new scientific and technological advances by taking an evidence-based approach to treatment. 

In a nutshell, this means we only recommend tests and treatments where the evidence shows that they could be of benefit.

What are the fertility tests and assessments patients should ask about right now?

We currently recommend a comprehensive fertility assessment for all patients that lets you understand your individual fertility status, and have an open, transparent discussion about next steps. 

For anyone born female, we perform:

• an Anti-Müllerian hormone blood test which will give us a good indication of the amount of eggs left in the ovaries
• an internal vaginal ultrasound scan to check the anatomy and to perform an antral follicle count, which will give us an understanding of the potential number of eggs that could be produced in a treatment cycle
• other hormone tests to check your levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone

For anyone born male, we would carry out:

• a full semen analysis, where we will check sperm count, the motility (movement), and the morphology (shape) of the sample
• hormone testing and genetic profiling (where appropriate)

You should ensure that your clinic will combine your results and let you discuss them with a specialist fertility consultant, so you can understand which up-to-the-minute treatment options could be available to you before getting started with any recommendations.

What does the gold standard in treatment options look like in the UK currently?

The best clinics should take a holistic approach that combines state-of-the-art treatment with specific plans that suit your individual needs.

At TFP Fertility, we offer one of the widest ranges of fertility treatments out there, and incorporate the latest cutting-edge techniques like In Vitro Maturation (IVM), reciprocal IVF, assisted hatching and pre-implantation testing.

On top of this, we also offer plans and protocols that are tailored to you. For example, we know some of our patients are not ready to start a family immediately, so we can also preserve their fertility by freezing eggs, sperm or embryos for use in future treatment. Focused action plans for patients with specific needs, including endometriosis, premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), are standard at TFP Fertility.

Right now, a gold standard treatment offering should also encompass inclusivity, accessibility and openness as part of the process.

Ask prospective clinics about online events or open evenings where you can come and meet the team and take a look around – see our free upcoming fertility information events for more on this – and make it a point to ask about funding options and refund packages that could further simplify your route into treatment.

Which specific options and support should LGBTQIA+ patients ask about?

Getting an understanding of tailored LGBTQIA+ treatment options and donor conception pathways is key, but you should also your clinic about their policies, whether issues of diversity and inclusion are part of the everyday conversation, and what additional support is available.

At TFP Fertility, we understand that there are many different ways to make a family. We believe you deserve the best treatment, advice and support, whether you’re a same-sex couple, single, trans or non-binary person, co-parent or poly family seeking ways to become a parent.

We also have our own in-house sperm donor bank, which means accessing a donor is easier than ever, cutting out a large chunk of time associated with using external banks. Right now in the UK, donors must be non-anonymous by law – read our look at our egg and sperm donor UK Q&A for more on the regulations and process.

If you’d like to learn more about the kind of support you should expect, have a look at our LGBTQIA+ fertility guide where we cover treatment options, a breakdown of your workplace rights, counselling services we offer, and more.

Looking beyond 2024 – what might the future of up-to-date, inclusive fertility care look like at TFP Fertility?

Inclusivity is an important topic for us at TFP Fertility, as we make it our ongoing mission to support all of our patients regardless of beliefs, sexuality, gender or race. 

We believe that everyone has the right to be respected for who they are, and to have access to the highest quality fertility care to give them the best chances of success.

Looking ahead, we want to go one step further and proactively ensure that we are meeting the needs of all of our patients, and understanding their unique struggles and challenges. 

Patients should feel heard, understood and respected at all times and at TFP Fertility we want to be the leading fertility company to advocate for this for all of our patients.

Got more specific questions? To get a deeper understanding of your treatment options, or any of the other topics we covered today, connect with the amazing team at TFP Fertility – they’re always happy to answer your questions, and discuss your next steps.