What is infertility?
Infertility is an inability to get pregnant after 24 months of regular sexual intercourse (every two to three days), without the use of contraception or have a proven cause for infertility. However, this does not mean that you are unable to have children, as fertility investigations and treatments can be provided to help increase the chances of pregnancy.
What is the process?
If you are concerned about failure to conceive then speak to your GP for a referral. Spire Gatwick Park Hospital has highly qualified fertility specialists and gynaecologists that are very experienced in dealing with couples who are trying to conceive. They will take a history from both partners, check the results of any tests previously undertaken and ensure that any outstanding investigations or examinations are completed in order to make the correct diagnosis. This will be discussed with the couple and treatment can then be arranged.
Do I need a referral letter?
At Spire Gatwick Park Hospital we do not require a referral letter for fertility treatments. However, if you have had tests carried out through your GP it would be best to have access to these results to make the process easier and ensure that we have all the necessary information.
About age
More and more women are choosing to postpone starting a family until later in life. While this suits modern careers and lifestyles, it also introduces a risk that some women may ignore: trying to have a baby later I life can significantly affect your chance of becoming pregnant. From around the age of 25 your chances of getting pregnant start to decline. By the age of 35 most women are half as fertile as they were at 25 (visit HFEA website for more information), however the rate at which this happens differs for everybody.
If you have any further questions about Spire Gatwick Park Hospital Fertility Clinic please contact our Treatment Enquiry Adviser on 01293 778 906 or complete our online enquiry form.
Any subsequent HFEA-licensed treatment (including egg collection, embryology, semen preparation, insemination, embryo transfer, sperm and egg donation treatment, and cryopreservation of gametes and embryos) will then be performed at London Fertility Centre, 53 Portland Place, London, W1B 1QJ.