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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.

22
May
2021

Why we need genomic and fertility law reform part V

Covid-19 is an effective mass disrupter with serious global morbidity and mortality implications. It is, however, just part of a wider complex picture that is rapidly evolving around us. With the continual development of powerful transformative gene-editing tools and scientific and digital technology we increasingly have the capacity to digitally programme, enhance and re-structure our genome and life itself. There is therefore an urgent need to implement intelligent genomic and fertility law reform and develop new policies and practices to deal with fallout from the Covid-19 global pandemic, changing geopolitics, evolving biopolitics, declining fertility levels and rapid intersection of genomics, digital, AI and assisted reproductive technology.

14
Apr
2021

Surrogacy Law Update: British Fertility Society’s Creating Modern Families Day 2021

Louisa Ghevaert will join a panel of expert speakers and deliver a surrogacy law update at The British Fertility Society’s Creating Modern Families Day 2021. This annual training event, which is part of The BFS’ virtual study week, will highlight the complexities of modern families and address the clinical and legal issues, regulatory changes and wider aspects associated with creating modern families through fertility treatment, egg and sperm donation and surrogacy.

01
Apr
2021

When infertility strikes and fertility treatment fails: what’s next?

Infertility and difficulties conceiving a child can make you feel anxious, frustrated, angry and grief-stricken. It can leave you with unanswered questions. Why can’t I conceive? Will I ever have a baby? It can also leave you feeling emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed and stuck in a rut. These feelings can be compounded by the daunting financial costs of fertility treatment and the complex legal issues associated with assisted conception. This in turn can make it a struggle to know what to do and how best to achieve a much-wanted child.

26
Mar
2021

Surrogacy under strain

Pre-pandemic, we saw an upwards trend in surrogacy and increasing numbers of parental orders being granted in England and Wales. In 2011, a total of 117 parental orders were granted, increasing to 374 in 2018 and 444 in 2019. However, latest statistics released by the Ministry of Justice in December 2020 show that just 275 parental orders were granted in England and Wales for the first three quarters of 2020. This suggests a potential decrease on 2019 figures on a pro rata basis of nearly a fifth (approximately 18%) and a potential downwards trend for the first time over the last decade. Will surrogacy continue to remain under pressure in 2021?

29
Jan
2021

Times Radio Interview: Single Parent Surrogacy and Surrogacy Law Reform

During a Times Radio interview with John Pienaar on 28 January 2021, Louisa was pleased to discuss single parent surrogacy and the ongoing need for wider surrogacy law reform in the UK. This follows news of the first single man to become a solo parent through surrogacy and egg donation with not-for-profit surrogacy agency Surrogacy UK. David Watkins, a 42 year old teacher from Southampton, successfully became a father with the help of surrogate Faye Spreadbury from Leicester.

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