Join us in celebrating #IVFis40 this National Fertility Awareness Week 30 October – 5 November 2017.
2017 marks the 40th anniversary of IVF being successful. On 10 November 1977, IVF worked and nine months later Louise Joy Brown – the world’s first IVF baby – was born on 25 July 1978. Since then more than a quarter of a million UK babies have been born as a result of IVF – and we want to hear those stories, from as many perspectives as possible.
What has IVF meant to you? You may have had IVF in the 1970s, 80s, 90s , or later , or perhaps you were conceived via IVF, or you are one of the many healthcare professionals who have helped bring so many children into the world – embryologists, nurses, midwives, counsellors, acupuncturists and more. Perhaps IVF did not work for you; tell us how you faced this. Send your #IVFis40 memories to [email protected] and we will post them here; do please include pics, where possible.
Did you know:
Despite 40 years of fertility treatment, IVF fails more than it works: on average IVF fails 75 per cent of the time. The highest success rates are for women under 35: one-third of treatment cycles are successful. Yet too often we only hear about the against-the-odds success stories. Download and share our fertility myth on success rates and help to raise awareness of the impact of childlessness.
We want social media to be buzzing with #IVFis40 memories. During Awareness Week, please tweet using the hashtags #IVFis40 #TalkFertility and #NFAWUK and share your stories on our Facebook pages too.
#IVFmilestones – the highlights and history of IVF – is available to download.
National Fertility Awareness Week: providing support, improving awareness, raising funds and changing perceptions