A survey of fertility specialists by the London Telegraph has found that more and more women are seeking inappropriate IVF treatment because they are just too busy to conceive naturally. Professor Gedis Grudzinskas, of London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre, says that “many people in their late 30s or early 40s without children are completely absorbed in their professional lives and have less opportunities to conceive. Many couples I see have one of them working abroad and the most they see each other is at weekends.”

Many fertility doctors feel that wealthy career women are fertile and turn to IVF too soon. Dr Michael Dooley says that over the past five years he has seen a 20% increase in the number of patients seeking “inappropriate or premature” IVF treatment. Another specialist, Professor Bill Ledger, says that one 40-ish woman seeks urgent IVF treatment each week at his hospital.

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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