Allow IVF on NHS Regardless of Partner's Existing Children
Allow IVF on NHS Regardless of Partner's Existing Children
The Issue
The Issue
Despite being ready to start a family, I was recently denied IVF treatment on the NHS—not because of my medical situation, but because my husband has a child from a previous relationship. That child is over ten years old, yet this rule completely ignores my individual circumstances and my deep desire to become a mother.
Like many women, I’ve experienced the emotional toll of infertility—month after month of negative pregnancy tests. When I first went to the GP two years ago, I was told to “try for another year.” We tried for two more years. Still nothing. But when I returned to seek help, I was told I was ineligible for IVF on the NHS—not because of my fertility, but because of my partner’s past.
It’s heartbreaking. I’m not alone in this, and I know many other women will understand what it feels like to be turned away just when you need help the most.
Why this matters
Under current NHS policies, local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) can exclude women from IVF funding if their partner already has children, even if the woman herself has never had the chance to become a mother.
This rule doesn’t reflect modern relationships, blended families, or the fact that infertility affects 1 in 7 heterosexual couples in the UK (NHS England, 2023). It also creates a postcode lottery, where access to fertility treatment depends not just on where you live—but who you love.
Private IVF can cost £5,000 or more per cycle, putting it far out of reach for many couples. That means some women are being denied the chance to have children simply because they cannot afford to pay.
What needs to change
We’re calling on NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to update national IVF eligibility criteria so that:
- Access is based on a woman’s individual medical and fertility circumstances
- A partner’s previous children are not used to exclude her from treatment
- IVF support is offered fairly and consistently across the country
No woman should be punished for something outside her control. We deserve a healthcare system that supports our right to try for a family—regardless of our partner’s past.
Please sign this petition to help make IVF access fairer and more compassionate for women across the UK.
738
The Issue
The Issue
Despite being ready to start a family, I was recently denied IVF treatment on the NHS—not because of my medical situation, but because my husband has a child from a previous relationship. That child is over ten years old, yet this rule completely ignores my individual circumstances and my deep desire to become a mother.
Like many women, I’ve experienced the emotional toll of infertility—month after month of negative pregnancy tests. When I first went to the GP two years ago, I was told to “try for another year.” We tried for two more years. Still nothing. But when I returned to seek help, I was told I was ineligible for IVF on the NHS—not because of my fertility, but because of my partner’s past.
It’s heartbreaking. I’m not alone in this, and I know many other women will understand what it feels like to be turned away just when you need help the most.
Why this matters
Under current NHS policies, local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) can exclude women from IVF funding if their partner already has children, even if the woman herself has never had the chance to become a mother.
This rule doesn’t reflect modern relationships, blended families, or the fact that infertility affects 1 in 7 heterosexual couples in the UK (NHS England, 2023). It also creates a postcode lottery, where access to fertility treatment depends not just on where you live—but who you love.
Private IVF can cost £5,000 or more per cycle, putting it far out of reach for many couples. That means some women are being denied the chance to have children simply because they cannot afford to pay.
What needs to change
We’re calling on NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to update national IVF eligibility criteria so that:
- Access is based on a woman’s individual medical and fertility circumstances
- A partner’s previous children are not used to exclude her from treatment
- IVF support is offered fairly and consistently across the country
No woman should be punished for something outside her control. We deserve a healthcare system that supports our right to try for a family—regardless of our partner’s past.
Please sign this petition to help make IVF access fairer and more compassionate for women across the UK.
738
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on 29 July 2025