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13
Oct
2021

BBC World Service Interview: The economics of older mums

During a BBC World Service interview with Zoe Kleinman on 12 October 2021, Louisa Ghevaert was pleased to join the debate about why many women are delaying motherhood, how technology is helping, what the law says about all things fertility and the workplace and how things have changed over the last decade.

08
Oct
2021

Creating Happy Families

A recent large-scale Japanese study has found that couples in long-term relationships develop noticeable biological similarities. It reports that their bodies synchronize on a deep biological level, which bolsters health deep into old age for those in happy relationships, whilst exacerbating health problems for others. These findings bring into focus the importance of proactively managing our relationships, personal lives, family building and reproductive choices. Building a happy and stable relationship and family life influences not just us as individuals, but also our children and wider family and friends.

17
Sep
2021

Plans to extend legal storage limits for eggs, sperm and embryos

On 6 September 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care announced its proposal to extend legal storage limits for eggs, sperm and embryos in the UK for everyone, regardless of medical need, to 10-year renewable storage periods, with a maximum limit of 55 years. The proposed legislation will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

02
Sep
2021

The International Family Law Practice Sixth Edition

Louisa Ghevaert is delighted to contribute a specialist chapter on surrogacy law to leading practitioner textbook The International Family Law Practice Sixth Edition 2021. This newly updated reference work provides comprehensive coverage of the international elements of English Family Law and relevant source material. Increasing globalisation and international movement of parents, children and families, combined with rapid changes and legal developments means that complex international legal and practical issues frequently arise in practice.

20
Aug
2021

Donor sperm DNA ancestry information available at California Cryobank

Generate Life Sciences has recently announced that it will now in a first-of-its-kind service provide DNA-based donor ancestry information at its donor sperm bank, California Cryobank, directly to would-be parents and donor-conceived children. Prospective parents, including international clients in the UK, Australia, Canada and others, will be able to access DNA ancestry test results before selecting a sperm donor. Donor-conceived children will also be able to access this information to learn more about their genetic heritage.

12
Aug
2021

Future trends: egg and sperm banks

The World Egg Bank has just published (August 2021) an industry report looking at how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected egg and sperm banks over the last 12 – 16 months. It explores three key issues: (1) what does the near-term hold for intended parents seeking donor eggs or sperm? (2) how have health and economic trends during the Covid-19 pandemic affected egg and sperm bank services? (3) how can intended parents and healthcare providers navigate the ongoing uncertainty and potential disruption caused by Covid-19 in the coming months?

05
Aug
2021

Fertility treatment and IVF in the workplace

Louisa Ghevaert highlights the need for change in workplace culture and policies in today's Mail Online article about working women undergoing fertility treatment and IVF in the workplace. Despite one in seven couples receiving fertility treatment, thanks to advances in medicine, the article reports that as of 2019 only 23 percent of employers had fertility treatment policies in place, although more are starting to create them. It also highlights personal stories of multiple women who have experienced discrimination at work and redundancy for having IVF treatment.

29
Jul
2021

Human genome editing in a fertility context: The World Health Organization’s framework for governance of human genome editing

People regularly ask what genomics has got to do with fertility (beyond genetic testing of embryos) and assisted reproduction law and policy. They are often puzzled about the link between genomic technology and fertility and why this is something they should think about or concern themselves with, instead equating gene editing technology with scientists in laboratories and pharmaceutical trials focused on curing cancer and conditions like sickle-cell and Huntington’s disease.

01
Jul
2021

IVF rights in France to be extended to single women and lesbian couples

This week (29 June 2021), the French parliament passed a bill which will give single women and lesbian couples the right to access fertility treatment in France. Up until now, restrictive laws have meant that only heterosexual couples have been eligible to undergo fertility treatment, such as IVF, in France. This left single women and lesbian couples having to travel abroad for fertility treatment. As such, this new legislation means that for the first time in France all women under 43 will be able to access fertility treatment regardless of sexual orientation or relationship status.

16
Jun
2021

UK fertility treatment trends over the last 30 years

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (‘HFEA’) published its latest statistics and analysis of fertility treatment trends in the UK las month (May 2021). This coincided with the HFEA’s 30th anniversary following its introduction in 1991. It paints a largely positive picture prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, showing marked increases in fertility treatment success rates over the last 30 years. Overall, since 1991 approximately 1.3 million IVF cycles and more than 260,000 DI cycles have been undertaken in the UK, resulting in the birth of 390,000 babies. This represents a significant achievement.

03
Jun
2021

Keep Up to Date with Fertility & Family Law at Louisa Ghevaert Associates

The News Section of the Louisa Ghevaert Associates' website has had an inspiring refresh. With articles, excerpts and podcasts as featured in The Times, The Independent, The Guardian and BBC Radio you can learn more about the intricacies of fertility and family law and many topical issues that feature in the media. Understand how COVID-19 has impacted surrogacy, delve deeper into the need for fertility law reform in the UK and increase your awareness of the rapidly evolving genomic landscape and what this means for the fertility and healthcare sectors.

28
May
2021

Surrogacy in the UK and internationally during the Covid-19 pandemic

Ministry of Justice figures for the whole of 2020 now record that there were 421 parental orders granted in England and Wales during 2020. This represents a five percent decrease on 2019 figures and the first visible decline in surrogacy (encompassing both UK and international surrogacy arrangements) over the last decade. The fact that there was only a ten percent decrease in parental orders granted in England and Wales during 2020 is testament to just how much determination and resilience was shown by intended parents, surrogates and fertility clinics.

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