The global economic downturn stopped the first rise in fertility rates in more than 40 years, research reveals today.
Academics found that the recession of 2008-09 led to a decline in fertility rates as young, professional women feared for their financial future if they became pregnant. The downturn which started three years ago brought to an end the first concerted rise in fertility rates in the developing world since the 1960s, the study found.
In some large countries like the USA and Spain, the recession actually reversed the upward fertility trend. In others like England, Ireland and Italy, the rising fertility rates were interrupted, following a decade of generally rising fertility after 1998.
The study by the Vienna Institute of Demography of the Austrian Academy of Sciences found that there were differing reactions to the recession depending on sex, age, number of children, education level, and migrant status.
Scientists discovered that fertility rates in 26 of the 27 EU nations were steadily rising until 2008 (with stagnation in Luxembourg), when they then began to either decline or stay the same in 17 countries. In 2009 13 EU countries saw their fertility rates decline and another four countries experienced stable fertility rates.
Researchers said that a rise in unemployment and general job uncertainty was a 'key factor' behind this trend. The decline could last until 2013, according to researchers, but is unlikely to affect overall worldwide population growth.
Tomáš Sobotka, one of the authors of the VID study, said: 'Highly educated women react to employment uncertainty by adopting a 'postponement strategy,' especially if they are childless.
'We have noted some specific patterns of behavior; the young and the childless, for example, are less likely to have children during recessions. 'In contrast, less-educated women often maintain or increase their fertility under economic uncertainty.' Study: Mr Sobotka said the current recession has been serious enough to have 'long-lasting effects' on fertility Mr Sobotka also noted that countries who have recently suffered severe debt problems such as Greece, Portugal and Ireland are likely to see much longer-term fertility declines.
He added: 'Countries like Greece, Ireland, Portugal, or Spain are likely to see protracted fertility declines due to a combination of very high unemployment and radical cuts in social spending.'
To read more go to http://bit.ly/iZC52L
Thursday 30 June 2011
Monday 27 June 2011
Washington State USA, takes first step to end donor anonymity
As women postpone having children and face the ticking of their biological clocks, they may turn to donor eggs or donor sperm to help them have children. For women (and men) in Washington State, the fertility industry will be transformed in late July, 2011. Under a law recently signed by the governor, anyone who provides sperm or eggs to a fertility clinic in the state must also provide identifying information and a medical history. While that is, in fact, a customary practice for most fertility clinics, another part of the law will allow children born from donated gametes to return to the fertility clinic when they reach the age of 18 to request the identifying information and the medical history. Although the donor can file a disclosure veto that prevents the clinic from revealing the identifying information, the donor offspring will still be entitled to the medical information.
No other U.S. state has taken the same steps. Not only can fertility clinics destroy records long before the child turns 18, but also donor offspring are not entitled to any information about their donors and medical information is rarely updated and shared amongst donors and recipient families.
Some international laws are different. Sweden enacted legislation in 1984 that allows donor offspring the right to receive identifying information about their donor. Other countries have followed, with Austria, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, and some states in Australia all prohibiting anonymous gamete donation, and also setting up systems to help people find out their donor's identity. In May, shortly after the governor signed the Washington state legislation, the British Columbia Supreme Court declared that people conceived by donor gametes had to be treated in the same way as people who had been adopted with respect to accessing information about their biological parents.
The new Washington law is an important milestone. It is, however, flawed, because it includes a disclosure veto, allowing the donors' alleged interests in privacy to trump the interests of donor-conceived offspring and the intending parents in learning the donor's identity. For many donor offspring, learning about their biological parent is much more than just learning about their medical history. The issues and concerns of donor offspring are often complex and multi-dimensional. Many feel that until they know about their ancestral, genetic heritage, they will not properly be able to form a full self-identity. As in adoption, many speak of the great desire to know their biological parents so that they can better understand themselves. After many decades of silence, and fueled by the movement towards full disclosure within families, the voices of donor conceived people are being heard round the world, and they demanding what they see as their basic human rights to know about and connect with their genetic families.
Vasanti Jadva, at the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge, collaborated with Wendy Kramer and several others in a study looking at the experiences of donor offspring in searching for, and contacting, their donor siblings and donor. They recruited 165 participants through the Donor Sibling Registry, so there was already some curiosity about their origins. Among the participants, 77% were searching for their donors and listed the top reasons for searching as "Curiosity about characteristics of your donor", "Wanting to meet your donor ", "Medical reasons", and "To have a better understanding of why I am who I am."
To read more go to http://bit.ly/jkn3BH
No other U.S. state has taken the same steps. Not only can fertility clinics destroy records long before the child turns 18, but also donor offspring are not entitled to any information about their donors and medical information is rarely updated and shared amongst donors and recipient families.
Some international laws are different. Sweden enacted legislation in 1984 that allows donor offspring the right to receive identifying information about their donor. Other countries have followed, with Austria, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, and some states in Australia all prohibiting anonymous gamete donation, and also setting up systems to help people find out their donor's identity. In May, shortly after the governor signed the Washington state legislation, the British Columbia Supreme Court declared that people conceived by donor gametes had to be treated in the same way as people who had been adopted with respect to accessing information about their biological parents.
The new Washington law is an important milestone. It is, however, flawed, because it includes a disclosure veto, allowing the donors' alleged interests in privacy to trump the interests of donor-conceived offspring and the intending parents in learning the donor's identity. For many donor offspring, learning about their biological parent is much more than just learning about their medical history. The issues and concerns of donor offspring are often complex and multi-dimensional. Many feel that until they know about their ancestral, genetic heritage, they will not properly be able to form a full self-identity. As in adoption, many speak of the great desire to know their biological parents so that they can better understand themselves. After many decades of silence, and fueled by the movement towards full disclosure within families, the voices of donor conceived people are being heard round the world, and they demanding what they see as their basic human rights to know about and connect with their genetic families.
Vasanti Jadva, at the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge, collaborated with Wendy Kramer and several others in a study looking at the experiences of donor offspring in searching for, and contacting, their donor siblings and donor. They recruited 165 participants through the Donor Sibling Registry, so there was already some curiosity about their origins. Among the participants, 77% were searching for their donors and listed the top reasons for searching as "Curiosity about characteristics of your donor", "Wanting to meet your donor ", "Medical reasons", and "To have a better understanding of why I am who I am."
To read more go to http://bit.ly/jkn3BH
Sunday 26 June 2011
The sperm donor 'dads' connecting with their many, many children
He donated sperm every week for three years when he was a cash-strapped college student 20 years ago, and now Todd Whitehurst is still counting his children.
Four years ago, Mr Whitehurst, from New York, got an email from a girl named Virginia. Mr Whitehurst, a 45-year-old medical engineer, said: 'She said, basically, "I'm 14, and I think I'm your daughter".' Shortly after, he found a son, Tyler, who is now 14. Then he found another, Gavin, now 16. That led to another child, and another, and yet another.
He said: 'It was definitely overwhelming. I'm not even sure how many children there are.' So far he has found nine children sired by his sperm. Statistically speaking, said one biogeneticist, Mr Whitehurst could be the father of 42 to 60 children.
Because of a lack of industry regulation, high totals are all too probable, especially for prolific college kids like Mr Whitehurst. He was paid $50 a time at a clinic on the Stanford University campus in the 1980s and 1990s.
A web site set up for the children of sperm donors has discovered a number of 'superdads' who have fathered dozens, sometimes hundreds, of children. One top seed in Virginia has sired 129 kids and still counting, according to the Donor Sibling Registry, a nonprofit that helps connect families with biological fathers and siblings, the New York Post reports.
Wendy Kramer, a mother to a sperm-donor child, started the online registry when her son began asking questions about his father. She said one donor in the Boston area has been traced to 72 kids.
She added that the registry has found 92 groups of 10 or more offspring, and 336 groups that have up to nine siblings. There's no limit on how many banks a donor can sell his sperm to and about 21 per cent of donor fathers have given to more than one, according to Mrs Kramer.
Albert Anouna, director of Biogenetics and Sperm Bank of New York, cryo clinics should destroy a donor's sperm after it has produced about ten live births. Birth numbers are self-reported by pregnant mothers, which he admits is an incomplete and inconsistent system.
Compounding the problem, donors are screened so that the most fertile get selected, because high sperm count is most likely to produce a pregnancy. High-performers who rack up many pregnancies are among the most popular donors selected by women.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/jR4Kqm
Four years ago, Mr Whitehurst, from New York, got an email from a girl named Virginia. Mr Whitehurst, a 45-year-old medical engineer, said: 'She said, basically, "I'm 14, and I think I'm your daughter".' Shortly after, he found a son, Tyler, who is now 14. Then he found another, Gavin, now 16. That led to another child, and another, and yet another.
He said: 'It was definitely overwhelming. I'm not even sure how many children there are.' So far he has found nine children sired by his sperm. Statistically speaking, said one biogeneticist, Mr Whitehurst could be the father of 42 to 60 children.
Because of a lack of industry regulation, high totals are all too probable, especially for prolific college kids like Mr Whitehurst. He was paid $50 a time at a clinic on the Stanford University campus in the 1980s and 1990s.
A web site set up for the children of sperm donors has discovered a number of 'superdads' who have fathered dozens, sometimes hundreds, of children. One top seed in Virginia has sired 129 kids and still counting, according to the Donor Sibling Registry, a nonprofit that helps connect families with biological fathers and siblings, the New York Post reports.
Wendy Kramer, a mother to a sperm-donor child, started the online registry when her son began asking questions about his father. She said one donor in the Boston area has been traced to 72 kids.
She added that the registry has found 92 groups of 10 or more offspring, and 336 groups that have up to nine siblings. There's no limit on how many banks a donor can sell his sperm to and about 21 per cent of donor fathers have given to more than one, according to Mrs Kramer.
Albert Anouna, director of Biogenetics and Sperm Bank of New York, cryo clinics should destroy a donor's sperm after it has produced about ten live births. Birth numbers are self-reported by pregnant mothers, which he admits is an incomplete and inconsistent system.
Compounding the problem, donors are screened so that the most fertile get selected, because high sperm count is most likely to produce a pregnancy. High-performers who rack up many pregnancies are among the most popular donors selected by women.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/jR4Kqm
Friday 24 June 2011
Co-parenting and using a known donor: L Group families workshop, London, 3rd July 2011
Co-founders of Pride Angel Erika and Karen are enthusiastic about sharing their experience and knowledge through seminars, talks and workshops across the UK.
Their next talk will take place within the L Group families’ workshop:
Titled:
Co-parenting and using a known donor
Ever considering co-parenting or finding a known donor to conceive? How will the anonymity law affect any future children? Find out more about the practicalities, finding a donor through a website, legal considerations and treatment options available.
Talk: Co-parenting and using a known donor
Date: Sunday 3rd July
Time: 11.00 -13.00
Venue: London Friend, 86 Caledonian Road, King’s Cross, London, N1 9DN.
You can reach London Friend by:
Rail: King's Cross or St Pancras Station. Tube: King's Cross/St Pancras. Buses: 10, 17, 30, 45, 91, 93, 73, 205, 259 or 390.
If you are organising an exhibition, run a charity or support group and would like Pride Angel to give a talk at one of your seminars or workshops, please contact us at info@prideangel.com for further information. Read more about our Pride Angel Seminars.
Or if you are interested in finding out about a future talk in your area please Contact us. The more requests we get for a specific area, the sooner we will arrange a talk in that location of the UK, so please get in touch.
Visit L Group families the organisation supporting lesbian parents and lesbians wanting to become parents.
For more about lesbian and gay parenting, co-parenting and using a known donor visit www.prideangel.com
Their next talk will take place within the L Group families’ workshop:
Titled:
Co-parenting and using a known donor
Ever considering co-parenting or finding a known donor to conceive? How will the anonymity law affect any future children? Find out more about the practicalities, finding a donor through a website, legal considerations and treatment options available.
Talk: Co-parenting and using a known donor
Date: Sunday 3rd July
Time: 11.00 -13.00
Venue: London Friend, 86 Caledonian Road, King’s Cross, London, N1 9DN.
You can reach London Friend by:
Rail: King's Cross or St Pancras Station. Tube: King's Cross/St Pancras. Buses: 10, 17, 30, 45, 91, 93, 73, 205, 259 or 390.
If you are organising an exhibition, run a charity or support group and would like Pride Angel to give a talk at one of your seminars or workshops, please contact us at info@prideangel.com for further information. Read more about our Pride Angel Seminars.
Or if you are interested in finding out about a future talk in your area please Contact us. The more requests we get for a specific area, the sooner we will arrange a talk in that location of the UK, so please get in touch.
Visit L Group families the organisation supporting lesbian parents and lesbians wanting to become parents.
For more about lesbian and gay parenting, co-parenting and using a known donor visit www.prideangel.com
Wednesday 22 June 2011
Couples spend thousands on IVF for a baby which might never arrive
Every year, thousands of desperate couples sacrifice their time, emotions and hard-earned cash in pursuit of their dream baby. The average IVF spend is £5,000, with some couples forking out up to £40,000 for a child that might never arrive. Almost 40,000 women had IVF treatment in the UK in 2008.
While around 15,000 children are born every year as a result of the treatment, shockingly just a quarter of IVF cycles end with a baby being born safely. Encouraged by success stories, many childless couples desperately want to believe that impressive records from certain clinics make a baby a real likelihood, rather than just a possibility.
And while most of us don’t have the budget to pay for endless IVF cycles – not to mention the physical strain and emotional turmoil that go with them – there is no doubt some couples will do everything in their power to conceive. It is this level of desperation that some people fear is being exploited by some UK fertility clinics.
Dr Marilyn Glenville, an expert on improving fertility naturally, says: “Some clinics are doing extra tests when they’re not necessary. “But would-be parents are desperate and will try and pay for anything when they don’t know how much is absolutely necessary.”
For Sian Buchanan and her husband Tony, 46, the need for a baby turned into rounds of tests, treatment and IVF cycles that took them to the depths of despair.
Sian, 42, explains: “Being told you can’t have a baby makes you want one even more, and it’s hard to be told you can’t be a mother. “When me and Tony started looking into fertility treatment we had only been trying for six months, but, at 37, I knew I had to get a move on if we were to have a family.
“And although we knew we were entitled to a cycle of IVF on the NHS, we were prepared to pay whatever it took to conceive. “In that situation, you almost become numb to handing over your credit card.”
For Sian, there was no hesitation when an NHS fertility consultant advised them to go to a private clinic rather than wait for their free cycle. At her age, she was convinced she couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
She recalls: “We chose a London clinic that had an incredibly impressive success rate for IVF. “We had tests, scans and blood tests, but when we came to the point of starting IVF, having built us up, they suddenly told me my hormone levels were too high.
“Even though we’d paid £1,000 by this point, we walked away as we didn’t feel they were giving us enough clear information, and suspected they were more concerned about their success rates than me getting pregnant. “We felt we were handing over money without knowing what was really happening.
“It was so disheartening. We then started private IVF treatment through a hospital, at a cost of £6,000, but this not only didn’t work but it also left me with an infection that landed me in hospital. “It was a very lonely and desperate time for us.
“After spending that much money, the feeling of disappointment and isolation was huge.” Apart from the cost and the trauma, it seems the biggest problem is a lack of information and support for couples, resulting in misinformed decisions. Some would-be parents are even missing free treatment.
Couples contemplating IVF should do research in advance, says Camille Strachan, whose charity To Hatch provides details on NHS fertility policies, criteria for each area, plus clinics’ success rates.
She explains: “When you first visit your GP to discuss options, it pays to do your homework first or you could end up losing out on free NHS treatment. “There’s a referral period, which in some areas is six months, but for others can be up to two years.
“Your age can affect whether or not you’ll be referred – if a woman’s not on a waiting list by 38, there’s a good chance she’s not going to be seen in time. “And in some boroughs you must have lived there at least a year.”
NHS guidelines recommend offering eligible couples up to three cycles of IVF, but budget constraints have been so severe that several health trusts have been forced to restrict access to fertility treatment, with some suspending artificial insemination altogether. It’s no surprise that up to 80% of IVF work is done privately, with cycles costing £3,500 on average – and extras, including hormone treatments, cost thousands more.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/l1ug8k
While around 15,000 children are born every year as a result of the treatment, shockingly just a quarter of IVF cycles end with a baby being born safely. Encouraged by success stories, many childless couples desperately want to believe that impressive records from certain clinics make a baby a real likelihood, rather than just a possibility.
And while most of us don’t have the budget to pay for endless IVF cycles – not to mention the physical strain and emotional turmoil that go with them – there is no doubt some couples will do everything in their power to conceive. It is this level of desperation that some people fear is being exploited by some UK fertility clinics.
Dr Marilyn Glenville, an expert on improving fertility naturally, says: “Some clinics are doing extra tests when they’re not necessary. “But would-be parents are desperate and will try and pay for anything when they don’t know how much is absolutely necessary.”
For Sian Buchanan and her husband Tony, 46, the need for a baby turned into rounds of tests, treatment and IVF cycles that took them to the depths of despair.
Sian, 42, explains: “Being told you can’t have a baby makes you want one even more, and it’s hard to be told you can’t be a mother. “When me and Tony started looking into fertility treatment we had only been trying for six months, but, at 37, I knew I had to get a move on if we were to have a family.
“And although we knew we were entitled to a cycle of IVF on the NHS, we were prepared to pay whatever it took to conceive. “In that situation, you almost become numb to handing over your credit card.”
For Sian, there was no hesitation when an NHS fertility consultant advised them to go to a private clinic rather than wait for their free cycle. At her age, she was convinced she couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
She recalls: “We chose a London clinic that had an incredibly impressive success rate for IVF. “We had tests, scans and blood tests, but when we came to the point of starting IVF, having built us up, they suddenly told me my hormone levels were too high.
“Even though we’d paid £1,000 by this point, we walked away as we didn’t feel they were giving us enough clear information, and suspected they were more concerned about their success rates than me getting pregnant. “We felt we were handing over money without knowing what was really happening.
“It was so disheartening. We then started private IVF treatment through a hospital, at a cost of £6,000, but this not only didn’t work but it also left me with an infection that landed me in hospital. “It was a very lonely and desperate time for us.
“After spending that much money, the feeling of disappointment and isolation was huge.” Apart from the cost and the trauma, it seems the biggest problem is a lack of information and support for couples, resulting in misinformed decisions. Some would-be parents are even missing free treatment.
Couples contemplating IVF should do research in advance, says Camille Strachan, whose charity To Hatch provides details on NHS fertility policies, criteria for each area, plus clinics’ success rates.
She explains: “When you first visit your GP to discuss options, it pays to do your homework first or you could end up losing out on free NHS treatment. “There’s a referral period, which in some areas is six months, but for others can be up to two years.
“Your age can affect whether or not you’ll be referred – if a woman’s not on a waiting list by 38, there’s a good chance she’s not going to be seen in time. “And in some boroughs you must have lived there at least a year.”
NHS guidelines recommend offering eligible couples up to three cycles of IVF, but budget constraints have been so severe that several health trusts have been forced to restrict access to fertility treatment, with some suspending artificial insemination altogether. It’s no surprise that up to 80% of IVF work is done privately, with cycles costing £3,500 on average – and extras, including hormone treatments, cost thousands more.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/l1ug8k
Monday 20 June 2011
Gay Family Case Study – Can you help?
The Independent newspaper are doing feature about same-sex parents and would love to speak to lesbian or gay couples who are bringing up children together.
It would be very straightforward - about what it's like at the school gates, other people's perceptions, whether attitudes are changing and also simple practical issues. It would be for a phone interview which could be done anonymously if you prefer.
If you can help at all please email: info@prideangel.com or alternatively contact us at Pride Angel for further information.
The piece is tied to a new newspaper that is coming out called Pink Parenting.
With modern life comes the modern family as many gay and lesbian couples seek to fulfill their biological needs of having a family. Pink Parenting is here to do just that.
Bringing you everything you need to start a family from surrogacy options, adoption and the legal aspects of being a modern family to what's the best stroller out there on the market.
Find out more about Pink Parenting magazine just visit: www.pink-parenting.com
For more information about sperm donation, using a known donor and gay parenting visit www.prideangel.com
It would be very straightforward - about what it's like at the school gates, other people's perceptions, whether attitudes are changing and also simple practical issues. It would be for a phone interview which could be done anonymously if you prefer.
If you can help at all please email: info@prideangel.com or alternatively contact us at Pride Angel for further information.
The piece is tied to a new newspaper that is coming out called Pink Parenting.
With modern life comes the modern family as many gay and lesbian couples seek to fulfill their biological needs of having a family. Pink Parenting is here to do just that.
Bringing you everything you need to start a family from surrogacy options, adoption and the legal aspects of being a modern family to what's the best stroller out there on the market.
Find out more about Pink Parenting magazine just visit: www.pink-parenting.com
For more information about sperm donation, using a known donor and gay parenting visit www.prideangel.com
Sunday 19 June 2011
Happy Father's Day to all dads, single, gay, co-parents or donors
Happy father’s day to all the dads out there, be it biological, non-biological, co-parents or donors who may be known as ‘Dad’.
Whatever role you play in a child’s life, today is the day to remember and celebrate. Some children may have two dads; other families may not have a dad in their lives. Father’s day can be a great opportunity to celebrate the other father figures in your child’s life, be it an uncle or grandfather.
Maybe you are not a dad yet, but have thought about the options. In Los Angeles, Father’s day is used to highlight and encourage gay and lesbian couples to consider fostering or adoption. Maybe you want to be a full time dad through surrogacy, a part-time dad by being a co-parent or a ‘dad’ without all the responsibility by being a sperm donor
Whatever role you play in a child’s life, today is the day to remember and celebrate. Some children may have two dads; other families may not have a dad in their lives. Father’s day can be a great opportunity to celebrate the other father figures in your child’s life, be it an uncle or grandfather.
Maybe you are not a dad yet, but have thought about the options. In Los Angeles, Father’s day is used to highlight and encourage gay and lesbian couples to consider fostering or adoption. Maybe you want to be a full time dad through surrogacy, a part-time dad by being a co-parent or a ‘dad’ without all the responsibility by being a sperm donor
Saturday 18 June 2011
BBC1 new documentary; looking for gay and lesbian families
Off The Fence Productions are developing a new documentary for BBC1 which will feature in a series of programmes looking at Modern Britain and the changing landscape of what a typical family looks like today.
They are specifically looking to find a gay or lesbian parent family who would be willing to share their story and experiences in the form of a one hour documentary.
In particular they are looking for families who already have children and could give an added insight into family life and what it is like growing up with gay/lesbian parents.
The programme would be an overarching look at modern families, however they would need to follow a family event taking place over the next 12 months.
This could be anything from trying for/adopting another baby to a christening, a marriage, starting a business, an extended family holiday, prom, etc.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/jP3jHx
They are specifically looking to find a gay or lesbian parent family who would be willing to share their story and experiences in the form of a one hour documentary.
In particular they are looking for families who already have children and could give an added insight into family life and what it is like growing up with gay/lesbian parents.
The programme would be an overarching look at modern families, however they would need to follow a family event taking place over the next 12 months.
This could be anything from trying for/adopting another baby to a christening, a marriage, starting a business, an extended family holiday, prom, etc.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/jP3jHx
Thursday 16 June 2011
Researcher looking for sperm donors to interview, can you help?
Hello. My name is Helen Lay and I am looking for sperm donors to interview for my Anthropology Masters dissertation. Within anthropology there has been a lot of work on the experiences of women who act as egg donors and surrogates but the voices of men who choose to act as sperm donors have been somewhat overlooked.
The stereotypical view of sperm donors as young students who do it for ‘beer money’ does not reflect the complexity of the motivations and experiences of this decision, particularly in the case of men who choose to act as co-parents or have a degree of involvement in the lives of the children who they help to conceive.
I would like to explore the thoughts, feelings and experiences of sperm donors, including men who are considering acting as donors, in as much depth as possible. I intend to share my research with Pride Angel with the aim that it may help people who are considering being sperm donors, and contribute to a broader understanding of the experiences of men within assisted conception. My research will be conducted in accordance of University of Sussex ethical guidelines, and interviewees will have complete anonymity.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/kU33Jx
The stereotypical view of sperm donors as young students who do it for ‘beer money’ does not reflect the complexity of the motivations and experiences of this decision, particularly in the case of men who choose to act as co-parents or have a degree of involvement in the lives of the children who they help to conceive.
I would like to explore the thoughts, feelings and experiences of sperm donors, including men who are considering acting as donors, in as much depth as possible. I intend to share my research with Pride Angel with the aim that it may help people who are considering being sperm donors, and contribute to a broader understanding of the experiences of men within assisted conception. My research will be conducted in accordance of University of Sussex ethical guidelines, and interviewees will have complete anonymity.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/kU33Jx
Monday 13 June 2011
London council appeals for more gay couples to become foster parents
A London council is appealing for more gay couples to come forward to foster children in need of homes.
Lambeth council says it particularly needs carers for teenagers, disabled children and those on remand.
Cllr Pete Robbins, Lambeth Council Cabinet Member for Children and Young People Services, said he was concerned that so few gay couples in the borough are coming forward.
He said: “We are worried that gay couples in the borough think they can’t apply but this is simply not the case. There are many myths around who can be a foster carer, so this Fathers’ Day, we are urging single men, gay men and gay couples to come forward and find out more about fostering. The ability to provide a stable and loving environment for a child is the first qualification.”
Same-sex couples have been allowed to adopt or foster children jointly since 2005. However, only 3.75 per cent of children adopted in England in 2010 were adopted by gay couples. London is suffering a city-wide shortage of foster carers, especially those who can look after teenagers.
Mr Robbins added: “We are looking for foster carers from diverse backgrounds to provide children with a stable environment until it’s time for them to return home, move to a new permanent family or move to independent living. You do not have to be married, own your home or have children.
“At Lambeth, we are particularly in need of carers who can offer care for teenagers and young people who have been remanded to Lambeth by the courts. As well as carers for babies, children with a disability, and children who need a break from their natural parents (respite care).”
Lambeth council is inviting anyone interested in fostering to attend an information meeting in room 101 of the Town Hall on June 28th, between 4.30pm and 5.45pm. For more information, call 020 7926 8710.
Simon and his partner have been foster parents with Lambeth council for four years.
He said: “Many gay people are put off applying as they don’t think they will be accepted as foster parents but this is not true. Fostering is a joy and you will make a real difference to a child who needs it. The ability to offer a child a loving and stable home life is the main criteria.
“We fostered a 16-year-old who came to us lacking confidence and with very low self-esteem. He told us he ‘felt worthless’ and was a ‘waste of space’. Eight months later he performed a song he’d written to an audience of 200 people. Through offering support, stability and a happy, loving home, he gained so much confidence and belief in himself. When you see a change like that you know exactly why you do it.
To read more go to http://bitly.com/iyK24o
Lambeth council says it particularly needs carers for teenagers, disabled children and those on remand.
Cllr Pete Robbins, Lambeth Council Cabinet Member for Children and Young People Services, said he was concerned that so few gay couples in the borough are coming forward.
He said: “We are worried that gay couples in the borough think they can’t apply but this is simply not the case. There are many myths around who can be a foster carer, so this Fathers’ Day, we are urging single men, gay men and gay couples to come forward and find out more about fostering. The ability to provide a stable and loving environment for a child is the first qualification.”
Same-sex couples have been allowed to adopt or foster children jointly since 2005. However, only 3.75 per cent of children adopted in England in 2010 were adopted by gay couples. London is suffering a city-wide shortage of foster carers, especially those who can look after teenagers.
Mr Robbins added: “We are looking for foster carers from diverse backgrounds to provide children with a stable environment until it’s time for them to return home, move to a new permanent family or move to independent living. You do not have to be married, own your home or have children.
“At Lambeth, we are particularly in need of carers who can offer care for teenagers and young people who have been remanded to Lambeth by the courts. As well as carers for babies, children with a disability, and children who need a break from their natural parents (respite care).”
Lambeth council is inviting anyone interested in fostering to attend an information meeting in room 101 of the Town Hall on June 28th, between 4.30pm and 5.45pm. For more information, call 020 7926 8710.
Simon and his partner have been foster parents with Lambeth council for four years.
He said: “Many gay people are put off applying as they don’t think they will be accepted as foster parents but this is not true. Fostering is a joy and you will make a real difference to a child who needs it. The ability to offer a child a loving and stable home life is the main criteria.
“We fostered a 16-year-old who came to us lacking confidence and with very low self-esteem. He told us he ‘felt worthless’ and was a ‘waste of space’. Eight months later he performed a song he’d written to an audience of 200 people. Through offering support, stability and a happy, loving home, he gained so much confidence and belief in himself. When you see a change like that you know exactly why you do it.
To read more go to http://bitly.com/iyK24o
Saturday 11 June 2011
IVF postcode lottery, slammed by fertility expert
A top Manchester fertility expert has slammed the results of a parliamentary report which revealed the extent of the IVF ‘postcode lottery’ in the region.
Professor Brian Lieberman, who founded Britain’s first fully-funded NHS IVF unit in 1982, hit out, saying it’s ‘wholly unacceptable’ that couples are being denied the treatment they need.
He spoke out after a new study by a cross-party group of MPs showed Stockport was one of just five NHS trusts which does not offer IVF to couples struggling to have a baby.
Bosses at NHS Stockport stopped funding cycles of treatment for new patients as part of a drive to save £300,000 a year.
Professor Lieberman, who went on to launch private infertility clinic Manchester Fertility Services based in the city centre, said: "IVF for some reason isn’t seen as essential treatment by some PCTs.
"What this means is that infertile couples in the region are now being faced with a stark choice – pay privately or don’t have a family. It’s wholly unacceptable.
"IVF was pioneered to overcome infertility, which is an illness and which people don’t any control over.
"It’s not a ‘lifestyle’ illness, and it’s about time PCTs recognised this."
While Manchester Fertility Services has seen an increase in the number of patients from funded-cut areas such as Stockport, Professor Lieberman says he would rather they received the right treatment in the first place.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/m2qO3e
Professor Brian Lieberman, who founded Britain’s first fully-funded NHS IVF unit in 1982, hit out, saying it’s ‘wholly unacceptable’ that couples are being denied the treatment they need.
He spoke out after a new study by a cross-party group of MPs showed Stockport was one of just five NHS trusts which does not offer IVF to couples struggling to have a baby.
Bosses at NHS Stockport stopped funding cycles of treatment for new patients as part of a drive to save £300,000 a year.
Professor Lieberman, who went on to launch private infertility clinic Manchester Fertility Services based in the city centre, said: "IVF for some reason isn’t seen as essential treatment by some PCTs.
"What this means is that infertile couples in the region are now being faced with a stark choice – pay privately or don’t have a family. It’s wholly unacceptable.
"IVF was pioneered to overcome infertility, which is an illness and which people don’t any control over.
"It’s not a ‘lifestyle’ illness, and it’s about time PCTs recognised this."
While Manchester Fertility Services has seen an increase in the number of patients from funded-cut areas such as Stockport, Professor Lieberman says he would rather they received the right treatment in the first place.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/m2qO3e
Friday 10 June 2011
New fertility product improves conception and may reduce risk of early miscarriage
We are pleased to announce the successful market release of an exciting new product: the Zestica Fertility Conception Kit. This new product has received considerable interest at fertility shows across the UK, including the recent Fertility World show at London Olympia.
The conception pack contains three vital products for optimising conception:
1)7 ovulation predictor tests, allowing the detection of the best time for conception.
2)Zestica fertility gel, which used on the run up to ovulation, prepares the vaginal environment for conception.
3) Also included in the pack are 6 vaginal applicators of Zestica Fertility lubricant for use during the fertile part of the cycle; providing a sperm friendly environment.
Studies suggest the low grade bacterial vaginitis (BV) is common in many women, and it has been recognised for many years that this can be a significant, persistent and recurrent obstacle to conception success, lowering fertility rates and also increasing early miscarriage rates. Unfortunately, most women do not have access to BV screening unless they have already been referred to a fertility specialist clinic, where BV testing is a routine part of the initial screening examination.
Using the Zestica fertility gel, reduces the risk of bacterial vaginosis, thus preparing the body for conception and successful embryo implantation.
The Zestica Conception Kit is now available to buy through our Pride Angel Shop at the special introductory price of £49.00.
Read more about Bacterial infections and how they affect fertility.
Buy the Zestica Conception Kit at the special introductory price of £49.00
To read more go to http://bit.ly/jgpI35
The conception pack contains three vital products for optimising conception:
1)7 ovulation predictor tests, allowing the detection of the best time for conception.
2)Zestica fertility gel, which used on the run up to ovulation, prepares the vaginal environment for conception.
3) Also included in the pack are 6 vaginal applicators of Zestica Fertility lubricant for use during the fertile part of the cycle; providing a sperm friendly environment.
Studies suggest the low grade bacterial vaginitis (BV) is common in many women, and it has been recognised for many years that this can be a significant, persistent and recurrent obstacle to conception success, lowering fertility rates and also increasing early miscarriage rates. Unfortunately, most women do not have access to BV screening unless they have already been referred to a fertility specialist clinic, where BV testing is a routine part of the initial screening examination.
Using the Zestica fertility gel, reduces the risk of bacterial vaginosis, thus preparing the body for conception and successful embryo implantation.
The Zestica Conception Kit is now available to buy through our Pride Angel Shop at the special introductory price of £49.00.
Read more about Bacterial infections and how they affect fertility.
Buy the Zestica Conception Kit at the special introductory price of £49.00
To read more go to http://bit.ly/jgpI35
Monday 6 June 2011
JoEllen Marsh spoke on ‘This Morning’ about her search for her father, a Sperm Donor
Twenty-year-old JoEllen Marsh was desperate to find her real father - a sperm donor. Little did she know when she set out on her quest that she'd also find 14 siblings fathered by Donor 150.
This extraordinary story has been made into new documentary Donor Unknown: Adventures in the Sperm Trade, and JoEllen is tells her story today about her fascinating discovery.
View the clip on 'This Morning' at www.thismorning.itv.com
The film Donor Unknown (cert 12A) is in cinemas early June, and will be screening in London, Glasgow, York, Bath, Oxford, Uckfield, Bradford and other towns across the UK.
Below is a list of screenings:
Friday June 3rd – PREMIERE – Apollo Piccadilly Circus, London at 6.45pm
Sunday June 5th - Gate Cinema, Notting Hill at 8.45pm
Tuesday June 7th - Apollo, Stroud at 8.30pm
Thursday June 9th - Glasgow Film Theatre as part of the Glasgow Science Festival at 6pm
Monday June 13th - The Phoenix, Finchley at 9pm
Tuesday June 14th - City Screen Picturehouse, York at 8.30pm
Wednesday June 15th - The Little Theatre Cinema, Bath at 6.30pm
Thursday June 16th – Phoenix Picturehouse, Oxford at 6.30pm
Sunday June 19th – The Picture House, Uckfield, 6pm and 8pm
Monday June 20th – Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton at 9pm
Wednesday June 22nd - Apollo, Torbay at 8.30pm
Thursday June 23rd – The Lexi Cinema, Kensal Rise at 6.30pm
Sunday June 26th - Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge at 4pm
Tuesday September 13th – British Science Festival, Bradford at 6pm
For more information about bookings visit www.donorunknown.com/uk-screenings
Read more about known donor conception at www.prideangel.com
tO read more go to
This extraordinary story has been made into new documentary Donor Unknown: Adventures in the Sperm Trade, and JoEllen is tells her story today about her fascinating discovery.
View the clip on 'This Morning' at www.thismorning.itv.com
The film Donor Unknown (cert 12A) is in cinemas early June, and will be screening in London, Glasgow, York, Bath, Oxford, Uckfield, Bradford and other towns across the UK.
Below is a list of screenings:
Friday June 3rd – PREMIERE – Apollo Piccadilly Circus, London at 6.45pm
Sunday June 5th - Gate Cinema, Notting Hill at 8.45pm
Tuesday June 7th - Apollo, Stroud at 8.30pm
Thursday June 9th - Glasgow Film Theatre as part of the Glasgow Science Festival at 6pm
Monday June 13th - The Phoenix, Finchley at 9pm
Tuesday June 14th - City Screen Picturehouse, York at 8.30pm
Wednesday June 15th - The Little Theatre Cinema, Bath at 6.30pm
Thursday June 16th – Phoenix Picturehouse, Oxford at 6.30pm
Sunday June 19th – The Picture House, Uckfield, 6pm and 8pm
Monday June 20th – Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton at 9pm
Wednesday June 22nd - Apollo, Torbay at 8.30pm
Thursday June 23rd – The Lexi Cinema, Kensal Rise at 6.30pm
Sunday June 26th - Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge at 4pm
Tuesday September 13th – British Science Festival, Bradford at 6pm
For more information about bookings visit www.donorunknown.com/uk-screenings
Read more about known donor conception at www.prideangel.com
tO read more go to
First lesbian in Britain to conceive by artificial insemination talks about her pionerring family
Janis Hetherington was the first lesbian in Britain to conceive by artificial insemination. On the 40th anniversary of her son's conception, she talks about her pioneering family, sudden death and tabloid fury.
In a sleepy Oxfordshire village 40 years ago, Janis Hetherington and her partner Judy sat in their local pub with their farming neighbours and toasted the extraordinary thing they had just done. Earlier that day the couple had driven to a clinic in London. There, a doctor inseminated her with a syringe and told her to hold her feet up for while, before they sped back to Bicester for last orders.
Janis was the first lesbian in Britain to have a child by artificial insemination. The momentous event that four decades on continues to raise eyebrows, passed at the time without fanfare and headlines. "We had no reason to come forward," Janis says. Their GP was delighted and insisted she was treated like any other expectant mother and, in January 1972, aged 26, Janis gave birth to her son, Nick, with Judy at her side. The only sign of what might be to come was when the hospital matron put her in a side ward, saying the sight of two women having a child would upset other patients.
Those prejudices towards same-sex parents exploded on to the front pages in October 1977, after two tabloid reporters, posing as lesbians who wanted to conceive, "exposed" a clinic that offered female couples insemination. Several Tory MPs responded by calling for the practice to be banned, claiming children needed "normal" parents.
Janis decided to step into the limelight and take a stand. By then, the Hetheringtons were living a settled life in north London and the unusual circumstances of Nick's conception were known and accepted within their community. She rebuffed the critics, pointing out that her son was "perfectly normal, and very intelligent". For days, reporters camped outside their door. Nick and Janis then appeared in a BBC documentary followed by a US film by NBC.
The clouds of that media storm have circled the family, on and off, ever since. Janis is 65 now and looks the arch English eccentric as she sits on a sofa in the 18th-century house in Oxfordshire that she shares with her long-term partner. She says she was aware at the time of how momentous Nick's conception was. "Yes, I knew the responsibility I had – as his mother – and also if I blew it, I'd blow it for everyone else. Other women – gay friends – had said, 'Gosh, we didn't know that was possible. Perhaps we should think about it.'"
To read more go to http://bit.ly/ipelxo
In a sleepy Oxfordshire village 40 years ago, Janis Hetherington and her partner Judy sat in their local pub with their farming neighbours and toasted the extraordinary thing they had just done. Earlier that day the couple had driven to a clinic in London. There, a doctor inseminated her with a syringe and told her to hold her feet up for while, before they sped back to Bicester for last orders.
Janis was the first lesbian in Britain to have a child by artificial insemination. The momentous event that four decades on continues to raise eyebrows, passed at the time without fanfare and headlines. "We had no reason to come forward," Janis says. Their GP was delighted and insisted she was treated like any other expectant mother and, in January 1972, aged 26, Janis gave birth to her son, Nick, with Judy at her side. The only sign of what might be to come was when the hospital matron put her in a side ward, saying the sight of two women having a child would upset other patients.
Those prejudices towards same-sex parents exploded on to the front pages in October 1977, after two tabloid reporters, posing as lesbians who wanted to conceive, "exposed" a clinic that offered female couples insemination. Several Tory MPs responded by calling for the practice to be banned, claiming children needed "normal" parents.
Janis decided to step into the limelight and take a stand. By then, the Hetheringtons were living a settled life in north London and the unusual circumstances of Nick's conception were known and accepted within their community. She rebuffed the critics, pointing out that her son was "perfectly normal, and very intelligent". For days, reporters camped outside their door. Nick and Janis then appeared in a BBC documentary followed by a US film by NBC.
The clouds of that media storm have circled the family, on and off, ever since. Janis is 65 now and looks the arch English eccentric as she sits on a sofa in the 18th-century house in Oxfordshire that she shares with her long-term partner. She says she was aware at the time of how momentous Nick's conception was. "Yes, I knew the responsibility I had – as his mother – and also if I blew it, I'd blow it for everyone else. Other women – gay friends – had said, 'Gosh, we didn't know that was possible. Perhaps we should think about it.'"
To read more go to http://bit.ly/ipelxo
Sunday 5 June 2011
First lesbian in Britain to conceive by artificial insemination talks about her pionerring family
Janis Hetherington was the first lesbian in Britain to conceive by artificial insemination. On the 40th anniversary of her son's conception, she talks about her pioneering family, sudden death and tabloid fury.
In a sleepy Oxfordshire village 40 years ago, Janis Hetherington and her partner Judy sat in their local pub with their farming neighbours and toasted the extraordinary thing they had just done. Earlier that day the couple had driven to a clinic in London. There, a doctor inseminated her with a syringe and told her to hold her feet up for while, before they sped back to Bicester for last orders.
Janis was the first lesbian in Britain to have a child by artificial insemination. The momentous event that four decades on continues to raise eyebrows, passed at the time without fanfare and headlines. "We had no reason to come forward," Janis says. Their GP was delighted and insisted she was treated like any other expectant mother and, in January 1972, aged 26, Janis gave birth to her son, Nick, with Judy at her side. The only sign of what might be to come was when the hospital matron put her in a side ward, saying the sight of two women having a child would upset other patients.
Those prejudices towards same-sex parents exploded on to the front pages in October 1977, after two tabloid reporters, posing as lesbians who wanted to conceive, "exposed" a clinic that offered female couples insemination. Several Tory MPs responded by calling for the practice to be banned, claiming children needed "normal" parents.
Janis decided to step into the limelight and take a stand. By then, the Hetheringtons were living a settled life in north London and the unusual circumstances of Nick's conception were known and accepted within their community. She rebuffed the critics, pointing out that her son was "perfectly normal, and very intelligent". For days, reporters camped outside their door. Nick and Janis then appeared in a BBC documentary followed by a US film by NBC.
The clouds of that media storm have circled the family, on and off, ever since. Janis is 65 now and looks the arch English eccentric as she sits on a sofa in the 18th-century house in Oxfordshire that she shares with her long-term partner. She says she was aware at the time of how momentous Nick's conception was. "Yes, I knew the responsibility I had – as his mother – and also if I blew it, I'd blow it for everyone else. Other women – gay friends – had said, 'Gosh, we didn't know that was possible. Perhaps we should think about it.'"
It was when Janis met Judy, aged 24, that she began to seriously want a child. Aware she was a lesbian since the age of four, she gallivanted through a sexually adventurous youth, but when she met Judy she was looking for a relationship and was surprised to find herself falling for a woman who was not only married but the mother of a five-year-old daughter, Lisa. Within a week, they decided to settle down. Judy had separated from her husband several years earlier. "It was because of Lisa – being a mother to her, more than anything, reminded me that I could have a child and I didn't have to have a man," she says.
To read more go to
In a sleepy Oxfordshire village 40 years ago, Janis Hetherington and her partner Judy sat in their local pub with their farming neighbours and toasted the extraordinary thing they had just done. Earlier that day the couple had driven to a clinic in London. There, a doctor inseminated her with a syringe and told her to hold her feet up for while, before they sped back to Bicester for last orders.
Janis was the first lesbian in Britain to have a child by artificial insemination. The momentous event that four decades on continues to raise eyebrows, passed at the time without fanfare and headlines. "We had no reason to come forward," Janis says. Their GP was delighted and insisted she was treated like any other expectant mother and, in January 1972, aged 26, Janis gave birth to her son, Nick, with Judy at her side. The only sign of what might be to come was when the hospital matron put her in a side ward, saying the sight of two women having a child would upset other patients.
Those prejudices towards same-sex parents exploded on to the front pages in October 1977, after two tabloid reporters, posing as lesbians who wanted to conceive, "exposed" a clinic that offered female couples insemination. Several Tory MPs responded by calling for the practice to be banned, claiming children needed "normal" parents.
Janis decided to step into the limelight and take a stand. By then, the Hetheringtons were living a settled life in north London and the unusual circumstances of Nick's conception were known and accepted within their community. She rebuffed the critics, pointing out that her son was "perfectly normal, and very intelligent". For days, reporters camped outside their door. Nick and Janis then appeared in a BBC documentary followed by a US film by NBC.
The clouds of that media storm have circled the family, on and off, ever since. Janis is 65 now and looks the arch English eccentric as she sits on a sofa in the 18th-century house in Oxfordshire that she shares with her long-term partner. She says she was aware at the time of how momentous Nick's conception was. "Yes, I knew the responsibility I had – as his mother – and also if I blew it, I'd blow it for everyone else. Other women – gay friends – had said, 'Gosh, we didn't know that was possible. Perhaps we should think about it.'"
It was when Janis met Judy, aged 24, that she began to seriously want a child. Aware she was a lesbian since the age of four, she gallivanted through a sexually adventurous youth, but when she met Judy she was looking for a relationship and was surprised to find herself falling for a woman who was not only married but the mother of a five-year-old daughter, Lisa. Within a week, they decided to settle down. Judy had separated from her husband several years earlier. "It was because of Lisa – being a mother to her, more than anything, reminded me that I could have a child and I didn't have to have a man," she says.
To read more go to
Saturday 4 June 2011
Multiple embryo transfers during IVF are reducing says HFEA
The proportion of risky multiple births during IVF treatment is falling according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Multiple birth pregnancies have a higher chance of miscarriage, and of leading to premature birth and of babies with cerebral palsy.
The HFEA said 23.6% of IVF births led to more than one child at the beginning of 2008, which fell to 22% in mid 2009. The Multiple Births Foundation said it was "great news".
Multiple births are a consequence of increasing the odds of IVF working. Implanting more embryos increases the chance of success, but also the chance of twins or triplets. The HFEA has introduced targets for reducing multiple births because of the health concerns for mother and child. It has aimed for fewer than 24% IVF births resulting in more than one child by April 2010, 20% by April 2011 and 15% by April 2012.
Multiple births have health risks for the babies and the mother. The reduction so far has largely been down to increased use of a technique called single embryo transfer. Only one embryo is implanted in women who have the greatest chance of getting pregnant. HFEA figures show this has not affected the success rate.
Professor Lisa Jardine, chair of the HFEA said: "It is excellent news that the number of multiple births is coming down whilst overall success rates for patients are still being maintained. This shows that the policy is proving successful." Susan Seenan, from the Infertility Network UK, said: "With full funding on the NHS - if patients could access three cycles - a lot more women would be willing and able to go for single embryo transfer.
To read more go to
The HFEA said 23.6% of IVF births led to more than one child at the beginning of 2008, which fell to 22% in mid 2009. The Multiple Births Foundation said it was "great news".
Multiple births are a consequence of increasing the odds of IVF working. Implanting more embryos increases the chance of success, but also the chance of twins or triplets. The HFEA has introduced targets for reducing multiple births because of the health concerns for mother and child. It has aimed for fewer than 24% IVF births resulting in more than one child by April 2010, 20% by April 2011 and 15% by April 2012.
Multiple births have health risks for the babies and the mother. The reduction so far has largely been down to increased use of a technique called single embryo transfer. Only one embryo is implanted in women who have the greatest chance of getting pregnant. HFEA figures show this has not affected the success rate.
Professor Lisa Jardine, chair of the HFEA said: "It is excellent news that the number of multiple births is coming down whilst overall success rates for patients are still being maintained. This shows that the policy is proving successful." Susan Seenan, from the Infertility Network UK, said: "With full funding on the NHS - if patients could access three cycles - a lot more women would be willing and able to go for single embryo transfer.
To read more go to
Thursday 2 June 2011
Australian woman has created 19 children after donating the most eggs
Faith Haugh claims she doesn't have a maternal bone in her body - yet she has helped to create 19 children after donating the most eggs in the world. In total, Faith has been through a staggering 41 donor cycles, which has involved her undergoing hormone injections to boost the number of eggs she produces.
The medication given to egg donors is similar to that given to women going through IVF so the same complications can occur. A reaction to the hormones used to make a donor produce more than one egg can cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and, rarely, liver failure or even ovarian cancer. The 41-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, has not suffered any side effects since she started donating her eggs 17 years ago after seeing an advert in the paper.
The advert was placed by an anonymous infertile couple who went on to have twin girls after Faith donated her eggs at an IVF clinic. She went on to donate to a further three unidentified couples through a local hospital, which produced three boys and one girl. Faith has also helped to create another 13 children for couples she has met through classified adverts and online infertility groups. It is thought she has set the record for the most donor children in the world, topping egg donors from her native Australia, the US and UK.
In America, where donors are paid, the number of donor cycles an egg donor can go through is limited to around six. Faith's quest to help childless couples has even led her to travel as far as India to help a couple. She said: 'I was looking in the paper for a second job when I saw this huge advert for an egg donor. I didn't know anything about egg donation but I knew I was fertile so offered to help.
'For me, the most amazing thing is the parents. I see these people from the start when they think that they have little or no chance of having a child. They sit across from me, looking very tense and defeated and not holding out much hope.
'I will never forget one husband who called me from the delivery room. When I asked him what sex the baby was, his voice cracked and he started crying as he was so excited he forgot to see if he had a son or daughter. 'These are the rewards of donating my eggs.'
Faith, who is married to Glenn, a butcher, has a daughter, Ashlyn, 22, from a previous relationship and is a grandmother to two-year-old Charlotte. Glenn, 46, also donates his sperm and is the biological father of four children.
The medication given to egg donors is similar to that given to women going through IVF so the same complications can occur. A reaction to the hormones used to make a donor produce more than one egg can cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and, rarely, liver failure or even ovarian cancer. The 41-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, has not suffered any side effects since she started donating her eggs 17 years ago after seeing an advert in the paper.
The advert was placed by an anonymous infertile couple who went on to have twin girls after Faith donated her eggs at an IVF clinic. She went on to donate to a further three unidentified couples through a local hospital, which produced three boys and one girl. Faith has also helped to create another 13 children for couples she has met through classified adverts and online infertility groups. It is thought she has set the record for the most donor children in the world, topping egg donors from her native Australia, the US and UK.
In America, where donors are paid, the number of donor cycles an egg donor can go through is limited to around six. Faith's quest to help childless couples has even led her to travel as far as India to help a couple. She said: 'I was looking in the paper for a second job when I saw this huge advert for an egg donor. I didn't know anything about egg donation but I knew I was fertile so offered to help.
'For me, the most amazing thing is the parents. I see these people from the start when they think that they have little or no chance of having a child. They sit across from me, looking very tense and defeated and not holding out much hope.
'I will never forget one husband who called me from the delivery room. When I asked him what sex the baby was, his voice cracked and he started crying as he was so excited he forgot to see if he had a son or daughter. 'These are the rewards of donating my eggs.'
Faith, who is married to Glenn, a butcher, has a daughter, Ashlyn, 22, from a previous relationship and is a grandmother to two-year-old Charlotte. Glenn, 46, also donates his sperm and is the biological father of four children.
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