In a pioneering move the UK fertility regulatory body, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, has developed a new data comparison tool to help us learn more about the data from fertility treatments.
It’s A Global First And A Great Step Forward
The statistics garnered will empower IVF patients, researchers, doctors and nurses to delve into comprehensive information from the 90’s to the present, encompassing 665,690 patients.
Key features of the dashboard include the ability to filter 34,725 new egg and 14,665 new sperm donors by year, ethnicity, and country of origin.
Users can explore statistics such as the annual number of patients freezing or thawing their eggs, along with the average age for these procedures. The tool also provides insights into trends relating to multiple birth rates per year and the variation in IVF success rates by age.
Highlights Include The Changing Birth Rates
Some of the more interesting statistics to be noted are the changes in NHS funding for cycles (from 38% in 2009 to 26% in 2021) and a rise in the birth rate per transferred embryo (from 7% in 1991 to 23% in 2021).
The CEO of HFEA, Peter Thompson, emphasized the significance of the tool, given the more than 70,000 fertility treatments conducted annually in the UK.
He highlighted the evolution of the fertility sector over the past three decades and the dashboard’s role in enhancing information transparency.
The User Friendly Dashboard Has Been Welcomed
Stuart Lavery, a consultant in reproductive medicine at University College London hospitals NHS foundation trust, commended the dashboard’s user-friendly format for presenting complex information, providing patients and clinics with valuable insights.
However, he also recommended personalized consultations with fertility doctors for a deeper understanding of individual situations.
