Podcasts about human fertilisation

In the last couple of weeks there have been a lot of reports across the media about IVF Add Ons and there being no benefit to them.The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has issued a warning to those undergoing IVF about “unproven extras” (Add Ons) to increase their chances of having a baby.  These included acupuncture, nutrition, supplements, PGTA testing, microbiome tests, Time Lapse and Immunology amongst others.I am joined by the brilliant Emma Whitney to discuss the findings, how it has been reported in the media and unpick the details behind some of the headlines.We discuss:The role of the HFEA - a legally regulated entity that supports fertility clinics.How the media often misrepresents the findings of patient surveys.How Add-ons can vary significantly in their benefits and applications.How the language used in media can create confusion and fear among patients.Why Time-lapse technology provides valuable insights into embryo development.Why patient context is crucial in evaluating the effectiveness of add-ons.How a lack of scientific evidence is different unprovenThe problem of scientific studies in the complexities of fertilityHow the majority of clinics and practitioners are primarily focused on helping patients build families.For more information from Emma see her ⁠Instagram⁠ account and ⁠Website⁠For more information on scientific studies on acupuncture see The British Acupuncture Council Factsheet.Don't Tell Me To RELAX is sponsored by Acupips, quote RELAX for 20% discount.

When Tracey Bravo realised she wanted to be a mother but hadn't met the right person to share that journey with, she made a bold decision - to go it alone. Without knowing anyone who had taken this path before, she embarked on a deeply personal adventure: choosing to conceive via a sperm donor.In our conversation, Tracey shares how she navigated the process, from selecting a donor to undergoing IVF. We discuss the societal perceptions of single parenthood, the challenges she faced, and the unexpected joys that made it all worthwhile.Tracey's story is one of courage, determination, and defying convention to create the life she dreamed of. She offers insights into the support networks she built, the lessons she's learned, and advice for anyone considering the same route.This is an inspiring conversation about rewriting the rules, embracing adventure in all its forms, and proving that there's no single way to build a family.Contact Traceyhttps://www.facebook.com/traceyjbravoMentioned in the Podcast:The Fertility Show: https://www.fertilityshow.co.uk/The Donor Conception Network: https://dcnetwork.org/Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority: https://www.hfea.gov.uk/ Support the podcast: Get a whopping 65% off your first Gousto box at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gousto.co.uk/raf/?promo_code=TOM42277653⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get in contact:⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@tombryanyeah⁠⁠Chapters:00:00 Intro 01:20 Olympic life & travels05:12 Reaching 30s and still not wanting to settle07:12 Realising current relationship had no future10:00 Being asked about freezing eggs13:41 Unpacking the world of fertility14:36 Co-parenting21:13 Having conversations with current partner26:05 Alternative Parenting Show28:03 Plan B: Adoption30:38 Stories like this are rare33:32 Discovering support networks37:24 Choosing a donor42:46 Donor numbers49:48 Go time & injections56:14 IVF on next cycle59:39 Two week wait01:02:09 Explaining this 'alternative news'01:07:18 People's reaction to news01:12:00 Sharing all with Isaac01:18:20 How Isaac deals knowing he doesn't have a father01:20:25 What Isaac has bought to Tracey's life01:26:08 Advice to others

In this episode, the penultimate episode that Kate is hosting, Kate is joined by Professor Tim Child. Tim is Associate Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the University of Oxford. He has published more than 100 research papers, and has brought new treatments and techniques to the UK, increasing both the success and safety of fertility treatment.In 2021, he was appointed by the Secretary of State for Health to the board of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK's regulator of assisted conception treatment and research. Tim Chairs its Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee (SCAAC), responsible for the IVF Add-Ons traffic light system. And not only that but Kate and Tim worked together many moons ago in Oxford, and Tim was rather partial to Kate's homemade strawberry cheese cake!So, Tim is here to talk all things IVF Add-ons with us and I'm sure you'll agree he's absolutely best placed to do so!Kate and Tim discuss exactly what are IVF add ons, whether you should be using them, how they are graded and the importance of making the right decision for you with as much information from your doctor as possible.The pair also discuss the rise of misinformation on social media, how to filter through this fake information and where to find evidence based information. Go and take a look at Tim's excellent Instagram account where he shares so much top quality information to help you along your fertility journey.Thanks for joining OUR SPONSOR:We are delighted that the current series is being sponsored by Proceive who are kindly offering all listeners to The Fertility Podcast 15% off any Procieve purchase, when you use the discount code FP15.Socials:Follow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow Natalie Silverman she / her (@fertilitypoddy) • Instagram photos and videos on InstagramFollow Fertility Doctor (@drtimchild) • Instagram photos and videos on InstagramFind HFEA: UK fertility regulator website

A new series was released this week on Netflix. It is called Man with 1,000 Kids, and Netflix is billing it as the true story of Jonathan Meijer, a man accused of travelling the world, deceiving women into having his babies - via sperm donation - on a mass scale. Nuala McGovern talks to Jonathan Meijer, the sperm donor, to mums Natalie and Suzanne, who had a baby conceived with Jonathan's donor sperm, to Natalie Hill, the executive producer who pitched the original idea for these films to Netflix and to Rachel Cutting, director of compliance and information at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK's independent regulator of fertility treatment.Gabby Logan joins Krupa Padhy to talk about her new book The Midpoint Plan. She's challenging the stereotype of middle age. With fewer insecurities, children leaving home and perhaps a bit more money in the bank, she believes we should see it as the best point in our lives. Plus, if we look after ourselves in midlife, we'll be happier in old age.Summer is here, which means it's wedding season, and brides-to-be across the country are asking themselves the eternal question: what do I wear for the occasion? Kathryn Wheeler, who married earlier this year, decided to do something that old superstitions advice against: make her own wedding dress. In the process, she learned much more than just sewing skills. She also learned a life lesson, to embrace imperfections.It's 25 year since the New York Times' best-selling author Lisa Jewell published her first novel, Ralph's Party. Since then she's written another twenty-one novels, and more recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and the award winning None of This is True. She joins Krupa Padhy to discuss her latest work – Breaking the Dark – which is a Jessica Jones Marvel crime novel, exploring the world of the private detective and former superhero. By the time she was 19, Michelle De Swarte had gone from a council estate in London to the catwalks of Manhattan. Her twenties were a swirl of parties and high end glamour but by her thirties she was broke and in need - as she once put it - of a “new personality”. Desperate to find a way out of fashion, she reinvented herself as a stand-up comedian. Michelle De Swarte joins Nuala to talk about putting some of her own experiences into a new BBC comedy, Spent.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Rebecca Myatt

A new series has been released this morning (3 July) on Netflix. It is called Man with 1,000 Kids, and Netflix is billing it as the true story of Jonathan Meijer, a man accused of travelling the world, deceiving women into having his babies - via sperm donation - on a mass scale. Nuala talks to Jonathan Meijer, the sperm donor, to mums Natalie and Suzanne, who had a baby conceived with Jonathan's donor sperm, to Natalie Hill, the executive producer who pitched the original idea for these films to Netflix and to Rachel Cutting, director of compliance and information at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK's independent regulator of fertility treatment.A new report from AutoTrader has found that there's a stark gender divide when it comes to going green with your vehicle choice. Hyper-masculine marketing, highly technical jargon and anxieties around running out of charge are just some of the reasons they give on why women feel excluded from making the switch to electric vehicles. Nuala talks to Erin Baker, who is the editorial director at AutoTrader and author of the report. It's 150 years since the first Impressionist exhibition was held in Paris in 1874. The artists involved included Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, Pissarro, Sisley and Cézanne, and just one female artist was included in that first exhibition, Berthe Morisot. But women artists were involved with Impressionism, and 150 years on, the National Gallery of Ireland is holding an exhibition to put their work front and centre. The director, Caroline Campbell, joins Nuala McGovern to talk about the exhibition, Women Impressionists, and the four female pioneers who were integral to the artistic movement.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has launched a ratings system to let patients see which IVF add-ons are backed-up by evidence. Emma Barnett is joined by Professor Tim Child, chair of the HFEA's Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee, and Jessica Hepburn, who spent over £70,000 on unsuccessful fertility procedures. In October 2019, Coleen Rooney was concerned by articles appearing in newspapers that could only have come from stories on her private Instagram account. She laid a trap for the account she suspected of the leak, and then told the world ‘It was…Rebekah Vardy's account'. Rebekah Vardy, who continues to deny she was the source of those stories, sued Coleen for libel. In a radio exclusive, Coleen speaks to Emma about her side of the story, told in a new documentary: The Real Wagatha Story. Jazz/soul singer Mica Millar is performing as part of the London Jazz Festival in November. She joins Anita Rani to talk about her new album, Heaven Knows, which she wrote while recovering from a spinal injury during lockdown. Britain's long-awaited Online Safety Bill is days away from becoming law. Emma talks to legal expert Joshua Rozenburg about what will be in the act. She's also joined by Baroness Kidron, who has been very involved in getting the act through the Houses of Parliament, and Rashik Parmar, CEO of BCS, the chartered institute of IT, about the future of online safety. Are we becoming afraid of our phones? A recent survey suggest half of 12 to 26-year-olds don't answer the phone to their parents and a third of them feel awkward speaking on the phone generally. Emma speaks to Helen Thorn, a writer, podcaster and comedian and to 17-year-old Iona Cooke Mcintosh. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

Dr Lisa Cameron was the SNP MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow from 2015 until a week ago when she decided to join the Conservative Party. She has described the move as equivalent to leaving an abusive marriage. In her first radio interview since her defection, she joins Emma Barnett to discuss what led to her making this decision. Listeners who have been through IVF treatment will be familiar the extra – and often very expensive – add-on services that many clinics recommend. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the fertility regulator, has now launched a ratings system to let patients see which add-ons are backed-up by evidence. Strikingly, not one of them has been given the highest "green" rating. Professor Tim Child chairs the HFEA's Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee. Jessica Hepburn spent over £70,000 on unsuccessful fertility procedures and now campaigns about the fertility industry. They joined Emma to discuss. Three Little Birds is a new ITV series written by Lenny Henry which follows three women who emigrate from Jamaica to England in the 1950s - post-Windrush. The series is inspired by the stories of Lenny Henry's family who, although had positive experiences of being helped as new arrivals, also shared accounts of physical and racial abuse when they reached the UK. Saffron Coomber who plays ‘Chantrelle' and director Yero Timi Biu talk about the show. Julia Fox is an actor, artist and fashion icon, as famous for her breakout role in the film Uncut Gems as she is for her spectacular avant-garde fashion choices. She became tabloid fodder after a brief relationship with Kanye West. Her memoir Down the Drain describes a troubled childhood of sex, drugs and abusive relationships in Italy and New York. She tells Emma how her high-fashion image allows her to escape the male gaze. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Steve Greenwood.

Plaid Cymru have apologised after a damning review found a culture of harassment, bullying and misogyny in the party. The party had "failed to implement a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment" and that women had been "especially" let down. Dan Davies, the BBC Wales Political Correspondent explains. Taylor Swift is rumoured to have a new boyfriend and its all over the papers. She is the highest-paid female entertainer in the world, earning $92 million in 2022 following the success of her 10th studio album “Midnights". But why are we so obsessed with her - and in particular, her personal life? Charlotte Gunn, editor of the female-focused music publication, The Forty Five explains. The journalist Kohinoor Sahota tells us why as a single British Asian woman she wanted to share her story about her plans to freeze her eggs next month. Rachel Cutting, an emrbryologist in the NHS for 25 years and now Director of Compliance and Information for the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) discusses the egg freezing process, and the success rate. Lisa Selby is both the subject and the co-director of a new film called Blue Bag Life. In it Lisa examines her relationships with her mother Helen, who abandoned her at 10 months old, and her partner Elliot. Both were heroin addicts, and in the same year Helen dies and Elliot relapses and ends up in prison. An artist and academic, Lisa shot thousands of videos recording her conversations and thoughts during this difficult period in her life, which have been woven together in this feature-length documentary, Lisa joins Anita, along with one of her co-directors Rebecca Lloyd-Evans. Blue Bag Life is on BBC Four on Tuesday 9 May at 10pm, and then on the iPlayer. Wrexham players and Hollywood club owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney celebrated the men's team promotion to the English Football League as well as the women's team which won promotion to the Adram Premier league. As thousands lined the streets, Katie Owen was invited to DJ on the open top bus victory parade through the town. She explains what it was like to be part of the celebrations. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

The 2023 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Emily Jackson (London School of Economics) on 16 March 2023. Emily Jackson is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. She is a member of the British Medical Association Medical Ethics Committee, and until 2012, she was Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. From 2014-2017, she was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to higher education. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This item provides an audio entry for iTunes.

The 2023 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Emily Jackson (London School of Economics) on 16 March 2023. Emily Jackson is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. She is a member of the British Medical Association Medical Ethics Committee, and until 2012, she was Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. From 2014-2017, she was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to higher education. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

The 2023 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Emily Jackson (London School of Economics) on 16 March 2023. Emily Jackson is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. She is a member of the British Medical Association Medical Ethics Committee, and until 2012, she was Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. From 2014-2017, she was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to higher education. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

The 2023 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Emily Jackson (London School of Economics) on 16 March 2023. Emily Jackson is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. She is a member of the British Medical Association Medical Ethics Committee, and until 2012, she was Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. From 2014-2017, she was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to higher education. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

The 2023 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Emily Jackson (London School of Economics) on 16 March 2023. Emily Jackson is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. She is a member of the British Medical Association Medical Ethics Committee, and until 2012, she was Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. From 2014-2017, she was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to higher education. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This item provides an audio entry for iTunes.

The 2023 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Emily Jackson (London School of Economics) on 16 March 2023. Emily Jackson is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. She is a member of the British Medical Association Medical Ethics Committee, and until 2012, she was Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. From 2014-2017, she was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to higher education. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

The 2023 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Emily Jackson (London School of Economics) on 16 March 2023. Emily Jackson is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. She is a member of the British Medical Association Medical Ethics Committee, and until 2012, she was Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. From 2014-2017, she was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to higher education. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This item provides an audio entry for iTunes.

The 2023 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Emily Jackson (London School of Economics) on 16 March 2023. Emily Jackson is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. She is a member of the British Medical Association Medical Ethics Committee, and until 2012, she was Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. From 2014-2017, she was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to higher education. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

This week we are joined by  Hannah Vaughan Jones  international broadcaster, consultant, and director who has gone through 15 rounds of IVF before conceiving her son Sunny. Hannah shares her experience with infertility, which was caused by male and female factors. She also talks about the toll that fertility treatments take on individuals and couples. Hannah and her husband had conversations about IVF before getting married and knew that they would have to go through it to conceive. Despite having a public job, Hannah found comfort in going to work during the treatments. They went through 15 rounds of IVF, which was over a relatively short period of time. Communication was key for the couple, as they supported each other through the emotional rollercoaster of fertility problems. We also discussedIVF Extra's including immunotherapythe Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's traffic light systemThe challenges of navigating the world of IVF, including all confusing medical jargonOur mutual love of weight trainingSupport for the Women in Global Health bodyTo find out more about Hannah, go towww.hannahvaughanjones.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvaughanjonesYoutube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC0g0iHFq8WlMRVDinAqBhXgMaria, is a PT who specialises in helping women have babies. www.instagram.com/fitness_fertilityhttps://twitter.com/fitnessfertili1 www.facebook.com/fitnessfertilityThis Podcast is a Worth a Listen productionDISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website. DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don't get the attention they deserve. Data Bites aims to change that. Our latest event, the 39th in our series, was a health special, where the speakers presented their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the audience. This month's speakers were: Elliot Bridges, Senior Data and Insights Analyst at Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, on trends in egg, sperm and embryo donation and their implications Sarah Deeny, Deputy Director, Analytics at the UK Health Security Agency, on how the use of data and forecasting during the pandemic can help us protect the NHS and the public during the winter Valentina Sassow, Deployment Strategist at Palantir Technologies, on Palantir's work on cancer pathways Becky Taylor, Director of Transformation and Quality Improvement at University Hospitals of Northamptonshire, on building the future of integrated care at Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government.

In her new book, Womb - The Inside Story of Where We All Began, NHS midwife Leah Hazard seeks to explore the organ she describes as 'woefully under-researched and misunderstood'. She shares with Nuala what she has learnt from looking into the womb's past, present and possible future. There have been accusations of Russian soldiers using sexual violence as a weapon of war during the current conflict in Ukraine. Progress is being made to bring the perpetrators to justice, but it's slow. Nuala is joined by Anna Mykytenko, senior legal advisor to Global Rights Compliance; and Anna Orel, who works for the Andreev Foundation. The laws surrounding fertility treatment and embryo research in the UK have remained largely unchanged for 30 years. Today a new consultation being held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) opens. They want to hear from people who have been impacted by fertility treatment. Julia Chain, chair of the HFEA, joins Nuala. As awards season continues we want to know - who should win best performance by a jumper? Mark Darcey's reindeer jumper? Cameron Diaz's knitwear in The Holiday? Fashion journalist Naomi Pike talks to Woman's Hour about the most iconic knitwear in film - and we also hear from the creator of the most talked about jumpers of the moment. Delia Barry is 83 and personally knitted the jumpers you can see in the Oscar-nominated movie Banshees of Inisherin. She tells Nuala how she came to knit for films, and what it's like to be the woman behind the new ‘it' jumper. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

The author and environmental activist Vandana Shiva has released a new book, Terra Viva to coincide with her 70th birthday. She discusses her life campaigning for climate justice and equality, as well as what she thinks of the current climate situation. According to reports in the Telegraph this week, Rishi Sunak has shelved plans to reform childcare services put forward by his predecessor, Liz Truss. The plans were looking at increasing free childcare support and changing the staff-child ratio. What will this mean for parents who need childcare and for those working in the industry? We hear the CEO of the Early Years Alliance Neil Leitch and the Deputy Director of UK Onward, Adam Hawksbee. New year, new job? If you're thinking of leaving a job we discuss the art of quitting well. Sometimes leaving is the right thing to do, but how do you do that without destroying everything you've worked hard for? We hear from Mandy Dennison Director of Engagement from the International Federation of Coaching UK, and Karen Danker from Women Returners, which helps women returning to the work place after an extended break. In our series Finding My Voice we're talking to women about the moment they realised they had something to say or stand up for. Shekeila Scarlett was excluded from school when she was 12 years old. Although she was reinstated at the school just 2 months later, the experience made her realised how distant young pupils were from the governors who made decisions about their school. At 26, she's now the Chair of Governors at Stoke Newington High School in Hackney, making her one of the youngest chairs of a school governing board in the UK. This year in the UK children conceived by sperm, egg or embryo donation who turn 18 will be able to request information that identifies their donor. This includes the donor's name, birth name, date of birth and address, as long as the information is on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's register. It's a result of a change in the law in April 2005 meaning tha the first of those children conceived after the law changed will have their eighteenth birthdays this year. To discuss the implications for donors, children conceived by donor as well as their families are Clare Ettinghausen, Director of Strategy & Corporate Affairs at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the UK's Fertility Regulator. And Nina Barnsley Director of the Donor Conception Network which is a UK based charity supporting donor conception families. You might have spent this first week of January planning where you want to go, what you want to do and who you want to be in 2023, but have you made any financial new year's resolutions? Statistics show that more than a third of us (35%) will make a financial new year's resolution this year. We hear from the consumer editor of the Financial Times and presenter of the FT's Money Clinic podcast, Claer Barrett as well as the budget savvy mum, Gemma Bird also known as @MoneyMumOfficial on what we can all do when it comes to financial planning. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed Photo credit: Kartikey Shiva

What is it like to be the only woman in a group of men? Is it isolating? Intimidating? Or, can there be a certain, maybe shameful, thrill of being included as ‘one of the lads'? To discuss, Nuala speaks to Immy Humes, a documentary filmmaker who has spent years gathering archive images of all-male groups including exactly one woman, which she published as a collection in her book ‘The Only Woman'. They are also joined by Emma John, a sports journalist and author of ‘Self Contained', her memoir of single life. She's spent her career covering cricket and rugby, often as ‘the only woman' surrounded by male friends and colleagues. This year in the UK children conceived by sperm, egg or embryo donation who turn 18 will be able to request information that identifies their donor. This includes the donor's name, birth name, date of birth and address, as long as the information is on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's register. It's a result of a change in the law in April 2005 meaning that the first of those children conceived after the law changed will have their 18th birthdays this year. Nuala discusses the implications for donors, children conceived by donor as well as their families, with Clare Ettinghausen, Director of Strategy & Corporate Affairs at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the UK's Fertility Regulator. And Nina Barnsley Director of the Donor Conception Network which is a UK based charity supporting donor conception families. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 1 in 45 people in England have covid – and the UK Health Security Agency are now advising people to wear face masks if they are ill and need to leave the house, and to keep ill children home from school. So what does this mean? Are we going to get back to wearing face masks everywhere? Nuala McGovern speaks to the Times Science Editor Tom Whipple to get the latest on the situation, and government covid advisor Professor Susan Michie to hear how we should be changing our behaviour. In our series Finding My Voice we're talking to women about the moment they realised they had something to say or stand up for. Nuala speaks to Shekeila Scarlet. She was excluded from school when she was just 12 years old. After an appeal process that eventually reversed the decision, she was reinstated at the school. But seeing her case debated by a board of governors made her realise the importance of having young people involved in school governance. At 26, she's now the Chair of Governors at Stoke Newington School in Hackney, making her one of the youngest chairs of a school governing board in the UK. Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer : Louise Corley Editor: Beverley Purcell

Georgie Coleridge Cole is joined by health & beauty journalist Danielle Fox and fertility specialist Dr Malini Uppal to discuss everything surrounding IVF – a time filled with plenty of highs, but often some desperate lows. Here, they talk about Danielle's IVF journey after she discovered she couldn't get pregnant, and what Dr Malini can advise with her vast experience in the field of reproductive medicine.@gennet_cityfertilityGennet City Fertility | https://www.city-fertility.com/fertilitynetworkuk | https://fertilitynetworkuk.org/Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority | https://www.hfea.gov.uk/Donor Conception Network | https://www.dcnetwork.org/My Surrogacy Journey | https://www.mysurrogacyjourney.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Musician and composer, Zoe Rahman has won a MOBO, a British Jazz Award, and this week Zoe was awarded the ‘Impact Award' at the 2021 Ivors Composer Awards. Julia Chain the chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, made a plea for the 1990 Act governing fertility clinics and practice in this country to be updated. She argues that after 30 years, the science and culture around IVF has changed so much, and that the law needs to catch up. This week Ministers revealed a 10-year drugs strategy which includes £300m for combating more than 2,000 county lines gangs. Sahira Irshad and Jen Jones are part of Mums United, a group of local mothers fighting against rising gang violence in Sheffield. 23-year-old Vee Kativhu was told Oxford university wasn't for people like her - she proved her teachers wrong by graduating recently from there with a degree in in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History. She's now studying International Education Policy at Harvard. Her popular Youtube channel gives out studying tips and she has a new book out - Empowered: Live Your Life with Passion and Purpose. Last week the government set out how it will improve life for women in the armed forces, in response to the Women in the Armed Forces report which came out in July. It found that service-women who were victims of bullying, harassment, discrimination and serious sexual assault were being ‘denied justice' by a ‘woefully inadequate' military complaints process. We heard from the Secretary of State for Defence, MP Ben Wallace. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

In our series Under Pressure we've been looking at what happens to relationships when couples are put under extreme strain: how do they cope? Today we hear from Kate and Annie who live in Northumberland. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. In March, Julia Chain was announced as the new chair of the HFEA. Now Julia is calling for the 1990 Human Fertilization and Embryology Act to be updated. She joins Emma to discuss the changes she wants to see. We talk to Deborah Bull and Jill Baldock about how dancing can lift your mood. A report out today from the Institute for Fiscal Studies says there's been 'almost' no progress towards closing the gender pay gap in the last 25 years. Professor Lucinda Platt, who's on the panel of the IFS Deaton Inequalities review, and who researches inequality at the London School of Economic, explains why not. If your facial fillers aren't to your liking, or worse injected in a dangerous spot, you can get them dissolved with a substance called hyaluronidase. But women are reporting nasty side effects including swelling, tissue loss, burning sensations and headaches. A cosmetic surgeon, Daniel Ezra, is studying this to try to establish exactly what's going on. We hear from him as well as our reporter Melanie Abbott.

We're just weeks away from the big international climate talks in Glasgow, where governments will be trying to figure out a workable plan for how to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees. Gaia Vince explores a couple of strategies to tackle climate change. By far the biggest source of the rise comes from the release of greenhouse gases when we burn fossil fuels, like coal, oil and gas. So it's no surprise that we need to cut back on this habit - but much of the discussions are over how much of our reserves countries can continue to burn. Earlier this year, a landmark report from the International Energy Agency said there must be an immediate end to new fossil fuel exploration, and that current production must drop by 75% by 2050 if we are to stay within emissions targets. Daniel Welsby from UCL talks to Gaia about his just published massive analysis of fuel reserves and extraction. His study doesn't go as far as the IEA's, but still says that 60% of the remaining oil and gas, and 90% of coal reserves must stay underground if we are to keep below that 1.5C temperature rise. Natural gas, or methane, has a much stronger effect on temperature than carbon dioxide, but because it doesn't last very long in the atmosphere before converting into carbon dioxide, it's been a bit overlooked by governments. Two recent reports, from the IPCC and the UN, have pointed out that cutting methane emissions would be a quick win in reducing global heating. Most of our methane emissions are because of leaks from the oil and gas industry, or from landfill sites and agriculture. Gaia discusses tackling methane with Drew Shindell, of Duke University in North Carolina, the author of the Global Methane Assessment from the UN Environment Programme. Climate change is already having an impact on life everywhere. We've all seen the powerful pictures of polar bears on melting ice, but global warming is also causing problems for species in the tropics. Dani Rabaiotti of the Zoological Society of London explains how climate change is having an impact on African wild dogs, a species which is already endangered. This week the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority A recommended that the time limit for using frozen eggs, sperm and embryos, should be extended from 10 years to 55 years. Shahnaz Akbar, a fertility expert at Luton and Dunstable Hospital, explains what has changed in the science of preserving eggs from when the law was originally passed.

We still know very little about exactly how the embryo forms out of a mass of dividing cells in those crucial first weeks after conception. This is also the time when many miscarriages occur, and scientists want to understand why. Couples going through IVF donate spare embryos for research and scientists are permitted to study them in a test tube, or in vitro, allowing them to grow and develop for up to 14 days. This 14 day rule is abided by globally, and it’s enshrined in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in the UK. Thirty years ago no-one could keep these embryos alive for more than a few days but recently the techniques have moved on and they have been cultured for nearly 14 days. So should the 14 day rule be extended? Gaia Vince discusses this question with bioethicist professor Insoo Hyun of Case Western University and Harvard Medical School. There are other ways of studying this early development that don’t involve growing an actual embryo, and that’s by using just a few stem cells from it. These are cells that haven’t yet specialised into any type of body cell and so they have the potential to become any cell type. Researchers can grow these cells into structures that resemble embryos, although they could never survive inside a woman’s womb, and these artificial embryos aren’t subject to the 14 day rule. Gaia talks to Dr Naomi Moris of the Crick Institute in London about her work on what she calls gastruloids. Whaling was a huge industry in the 19th century, and populations of sperm whales plummeted, as hunters sought the oil in their heads that was used everywhere for lighting. The whalers who were hunting in the North Pacific kept meticulous records that have been recently made public. Biologists have been studying them, and picking out unexpected changes in the patterns of whale capture. Dr Luke Rendell of St Andrews University explains how he and his colleagues worked out that that the whales seemed to be learning from each other how to avoid the boats. A piece of intricate Ancient Greek engineering called the Antikythera mechanism, that was found by sponge divers in 1901 in the Mediterranean, has fascinated many people. Last week a team from University College London published the latest explanation of how the device worked. Science writer Jo Marchant herself became so obsessed with the mechanism that she published a book on it called Decoding the Universe and she talks to Gaia about the object and what the new research tells us about how the Greeks understood the cosmos two thousand years ago.

Gary Powell is a political activist and a district councillor in Aylesbury, England. A gay rights advocate for nearly forty years, he strongly opposes the trend to regard surrogacy as an appropriate campaign objective for the modern western LGBT rights movement: a movement that he feels has gone off the rails in several respects. As a student, he was taught Philosophy by the late Baroness Mary Warnock, who chaired the UK inquiry that led to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in 1990. www.stopsurrogacynow.com website: www.standingforwomen.com Shop: www.standingforwomen.com/shop Teespring shop: https://teespring.com/stores/human-by-definition-2?aid=marketplace Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Posieparker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theposieparker/ Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/posieparker Parler: Kellie-Jay Keen @Parler

The scientist Marie Skłodowska Curie is recognised throughout the world but how much do you really know about her and her ground breaking Nobel prize winning discoveries? The Oscar nominated star of Gone Girl on playing the Nobel prize winning scientist in the film Radioactive. The debt advice charity, Step Change, warned that British households are expected to rack up debts worth a combined £6bn because of the health emergency as they fell behind with their bills. And it looks like this will disproportionately impact on women. Jude Kelly, Founder of the Women of the World Festival who is involved in the Insuring Women’s Futures programme, Zubaida Haque, Interim Director of the Runnymede Trust and a member of the Independent Sage and a commissioner for the Women’s Budget Group and Amy Cashman, CEO of Kantar’s Insights Division discuss. Protests are expected this weekend across the UK. What do you do if your child wants to go? We hear from Monique Bouffé who is a member of the Black Protest Legal UK Support team, as well as Talja Parkinson who has three sons.. Fertility clinics were told last month that they could reopen as long as social distancing measures were in place. Being without access to fertility treatment has left thousands of couples – as well as single women – worried that they might run out of chances to conceive. We hear from Dr Zeynep Gurtin, Lecturer at the Institute for Women's Health at University College London, Rachel Cuttings from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and Seetal Savla who has just restarted her fertility treatment. The historian Bettany Hughes talks about her new Channel 5 series A Greek Odyssey where she retraces the steps of Odysseus from the coast of Turkey where the mythical Trojan War took place to the island of Ithaca in the West of Greece. Florence Given is a 21-year-old artist, writer and feminist. In 2019 she was named Cosmopolitan’s Influencer of the Year. She has just written her first book, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty. She tells us why girls and women don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Dianne McGregor

In this bonus episode,Kate and I speak with  Sally Cheshire, who is the chair of the https://www.hfea.gov.uk/ (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) ) These shownotes are a transcript of part of our conversation with Sally. Please listen to hear the full interview: What is 'elective treatment'  It is the word that the NHS use when it's not an outright emergency. So the NHS made that decision. And it's an unfortunate name because no one chooses to go in for surgery, particularly with regard to fertility treatment, but that's the word that's been used.  So the NHS said that they would suspend all non-emergency treatment during the pandemic, so the only people who were being treated in the first stages of the pandemic after the 23rd of March, that was, were people who were in an emergency situation. What we said in terms of fertility is that patients who were having cancer surgery, for example, and needed fertility preservation would still be allowed to go ahead and our clinics would stay open for those patients to store gametes and embryos. But also, we would allow as many patients as possible to try and finish their cycles if they had started. And we know that there was a different response from clinics, and you can imagine that they were trying to manage, as well as all other NHS hospitals, some clinics carried on with those cycles, and then collected eggs or frozen eggs or embryos. But some patients we know had their cycles cancelled earlier than the 15th of April. And all I have to say is it was up to the clinic to decide whether they could go ahead. Some of them of course, had already lost staff to the front line. They'd had some of their equipment used for testing for virus testing from the embryology lab, and some of them also had staff who were self isolating or who've been diagnosed.   Counselling: We do know there's been a massive increase in patients seeking counselling support. But if you actually talk to counsellors, some patients are asking different questions. Some of them are clearly distressed, not being able to have treatment. Some of them are very fearful of the virus and what impact it might have. So counsellors tell us they've seen an increase in patients who were just seeking help to deal with their general anxiety, not necessarily ready to talk about the implications of their particular treatment and what that might mean. So we do know that there is support out there and I'm sorry to patients who didn't quite get what they wanted, perhaps from their clinic. Professional Guidance: We've had to rely on professional guidance. So from the UK bodies from the British fertility society and of and the clinical scientists, but also from Europe and America, who advised similarly to stop treatment, until we knew a few more things, and their guidance has been very similar to the UK all along. And the Royal College of Obstetricians and gynaecologists also had to think about whether they considered there was any risk in early pregnancy. And they've also issued a couple of sets of guidance. So I think everybody has issued at least two sets of guidance over the last four weeks from the professional bodies. We've issued a number of letters to clinics explaining our requirements. And we've also tried to communicate with patients as best we can. The professional bodies have issued their latest guidance, which is cautious optimism. Tough Decision: I think this is the most difficult decision the FDA has ever had to make in 30 years really and the board and the staff have tried so hard to get it right. One of one of our criteria, quite rightly, was that there was no, or that there was as much evidence as possible to say there was no increased risk in pregnancy. And when I was thinking about it this morning, as a patient, you know, pregnancy is somewhere over the rainbow, isn't it? It's a long, long time away. And if you are trying to think about having treatment, it's...

Louisa is an expert in fertility and family law with over 20 years experience. She works at law and policy level in the UK and internationally. Louisa frequently provides expert commentary in the media on fertility, family and parenting law and is a published author on these topics. Her areas of expertise include fertility preservation and treatment, international surrogacy, donor conception, posthumous conception, children and family law.   Bio Louisa Ghevaert started out over 20 years ago as a mainstream family lawyer and now runs a specialist family and fertility law firm for modern families In 2008 she was asked to litigate the first international surrogacy case, where the twins of British parents were born stateless and without citizenship Louisa has worked on a number of landmark cases, including embryo storage law, posthumous conception, surrogacy and parental disputes  There’s a growing need for fertility law services in the UK Modern family is becoming increasingly legally and medically complex There’s a lack of international harmonisation of IVF and parenting law More people are becoming parents through assisted reproduction who are not legal parents through egg and sperm donation, same-sex couples and single parenthood Fertility law is prescriptive, so specialist law can create clear legal frameworks The risks and options associated with structuring the family can be worked through legally There will be greater deployment of genomic technology in fertility treatment Over time we’re likely to see fewer natural conceptions, and more genetically planned parenthood Genomics require sensible and informed decision-making Gene editing can cure disease, but it can also edit the gene pool Issues of consent  Regulation for ‘fertility tourism’ Long term there’s the potential to produce eggs, sperm, foetuses and babies from our own stem cells Is widespread genomic screening ethical? 3 person IVF involves the nucleus of the egg, the outer shell of another woman’s egg and the sperm In the US, genetic screening is often recommended for multiple failed IVF, and recurrent miscarriages In the UK, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) https://www.hfea.gov.uk/  changed its rating from amber to red, stating the lack of evidence and added cost without benefits of pre-implantation genetic screening Patients and prospective parents need to make sense of biological issues and legacy The law in each country is shaped by its society, culture, politics and history In the UK it’s illegal to undergo sex selection for social reasons The moral concerns of ‘designer babies’ We need to think about who owns our genetic information and what it can be used for as well political control and bioterrorism The increasing age of parenthood Building international frameworks and an international regulatory authority for genomic technology Two main groups looking to build an international regulatory infrastructure for gene technology: The World Health Organisation https://www.who.int/, National Academy of Medicine https://nam.edu/ and National Academy of Science https://nationalacademies.org/ In the UK, the implantation of a genetically altered embryo into a woman is currently prohibited In the UK, embryo research is only allowed up to 14 days In the US, there’s no federal legislation that governs gene therapy In 2018 a Chinese scientist announced he had brought to fruition the first gene-edited humans: twin girls called LouLou and Nana, to make them resistant to HIV. The scientist involved was fined heavily and sent to prison for breaching medical and scientific standards A Russian scientist has expressed a desire to gene edit to erase deafness The postcode lottery of funding access to IVF in the National Health Service Vladimir Putin has announced free access to fertility treatment in Russia to boost the declining population The two biggest genealogy companies, 23andme https://www.23andme.com/ and Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/  have tested over 23 million people Issues of civil and human rights e.g. using the vast databases to catch criminals Finding donor siblings, ‘diblings’ through the databases. Donor anonymity was lifted in 2005 in the UK Donor anonymity in Spain For further reading: https://louisaghevaertassociates.co.uk/why-we-need-fertility-law-reform-the-paradigm-shift To find out about Louisa Ghevaert and her legal practice: www.louisaghevaertassociates.co.uk

In approximately half of couples experiencing difficulty conceiving, part of the problem lies with the male. Despite this, male infertility is a largely under-researched and taboo subject. To find out why, and what needs to be done, Benjamin Zephaniah meets consultant urologist Kevin McEleny, who leads the Male Fertility Service at the Newcastle Fertility Centre in the International Centre for Life. Producer Sarah Blunt. Support Organisations Fertility Network UK offers information, advice and support for anyone suffering from infertility related problems. http://fertilitynetworkuk.org The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is the UK's independent regulator overseeing the use of gametes and embryos in fertility treatment and research. The website offers details of licensed fertility clinics across the UK. www.hfea.gov.uk NHS Fertility https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/causes/

Terri Clothier discusses how her husband’s fertility problems affected her and their relationship. When Terri married Richard (who we heard from in the previous programme ) she knew she wanted a family. They both did. Terri imagined life with two children. But this hasn’t happened. They were unaware that Richard had a fertility problem. Whilst friends and family were starting their own families Richard and Terri felt alone and isolated. A feeling they describe as grieving. Producer Sarah Blunt. Support Organisations Fertility Network UK offers information, advice and support for anyone suffering from infertility related problems. http://fertilitynetworkuk.org The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is the UK's independent regulator overseeing the use of gametes and embryos in fertility treatment and research. The website offers details of licensed fertility clinics across the UK. www.hfea.gov.uk NHS Fertility https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/causes/

Infertility affects one in seven couples. Many people seek medical treatment to help them conceive. Some fertility treatment is available on the NHS, but the majority of couples go privately and pay for it themselves. It can be incredibly expensive, costing tens of thousands of pounds. Money Box Live is looking at the costs involved in fertility treatments. If this has affected you or your loved ones, or you have a question you'd like answered, presenter Louise Cooper and an expert panel want to hear from you. So why not call Money Box Live now 03 700 100 444, geographic charges from landlines and mobiles apply. Or email moneybox@bbc.co.uk or tweet @moneybox Guests Peter Thompson, Chief Executive of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the UK's independent regulator of fertility treatment. Aileen Feeney from the the charity, Fertility Network UK Dr Raj Mathur, Senior fertility Consultant, working in both the NHS and a private clinic.

What is the real cost of IVF?  As Louise Brown the world’s first “test tube” baby celebrates her 40th birthday – this seminar organised by the Progress Educational Trust  explores not just the economic cost, but also the emotional and psychological costs.  Worldwide there have been 60 million live births as a result of IVF, but it is still the case that over 60% of IVF cycles don't work. Does receiving fertility treatment confer any benefit to patients, even if there is no baby to take home at the end? Is unsuccessful fertility treatment more devastating than no treatment at all, or is it better to at least have had the chance to try? The event was held at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). You may be interested to read the RCOG scientific impact paper on multiple pregnancies following assisted conception, referred to in the seminar Chaired by Sally Cheshire, Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Speakers Dr Rebecca Brown Jacky Boivin Professor of Health Psychology and Chartered Health Psychologist at Cardiff University's School of Psychology Research Fellow at the University of Oxford's Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics Jessica Hepburn Author of the books The Pursuit of Motherhood and 21 Miles: Swimming in Search of the Meaning of Motherhood Professor Lesley Regan President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Photo:  Test tube baby by Brendan Dolan-Gavitt  

On Thursday 26 April 2018, the Royal Irish Academy Life and Medical Sciences Committee presented a one-day conference addressing the wide-ranging implications of gene editing techniques for all of life and medical science. Gene editing is a ground-breaking technology that is affording opportunities to make precise, small changes to an organism's DNA. Using a series of proteins that act in effect as a molecular scissors, the potential of gene editing to address many challenges in biological systems is being realised across human, animal and crop research programmes around the world. Not surprisingly, public interest in the impact of gene editing has grown steadily in recent years as emerging developments continue to appear in the scientific literature. Offering a unique opportunity for an open, impartial societal discussion on the impact of gene editing technologies, the Royal Irish Academy was delighted to present a conference that highlighted the advances that gene editing can make in tackling societal challenges and also the need for a rational debate driven by science-based reasoning. The keynote address was delivered by Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, one of the key experts who help society navigate the increasingly complex terrain of the new gene editing technologies. Lovell-Badge was first thrust into the public limelight in the early 1990s when he co-discovered the Y-chromosome gene that orchestrates male development. He then used this gene to make a genetically female mouse develop as a male. As stem-cell sciences took off at the turn of the century, the British Parliament called upon him for advice in revising the Human Fertilisation and Embryonic Act. Since then he has regularly given scientific counsel in areas of public engagement and policy. Ahead of the event, Lovell-Badge commented on the importance of properly regulating clinical use of gene editing technologies, “it could only be a matter of a few years before we actually see people who have had genetic ‘corrections'. However, it certainly should not be just a free-for-all because that would be horrible”. He is Head of the Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics at the Francis Crick Institute, United Kingdom. He is an author of almost 200 publications cited more than 20,000 times Speaking at the event, Dr Ewen Mullins, member of the RIA Life and Medical Science committee stated, “given the rapid developments in plant breeding the conference was timely. Recent studies have detailed the impact gene editing can make in regards to developing mildew resistant tomato and wheat, merely by editing one single gene. With the technology applicable to all major crop and horticultural species, ‘gene editing' is in itself an umbrella term. In its simplest form, it is in effect a more precise way to breed a crop that does not require the insertion of artificial DNA. As our cropping systems face significant legislative and environmental challenges, this new breeding process could be key to delivering low input crops to satisfy consumer and policy demands.” On behalf of the Royal Irish Academy, Professor Michael Peter Kennedy, the president of the Royal Irish Academy RIA's, remarked, “this conference on gene editing is specifically designed to be thought-provoking, enhance debate and to facilitate a societal discussion around the parameters in which gene editing should be applied.” He concluded by thanking the Health Research Board for generously sponsoring the event and providing delegates with an opportunity to hear from major national and international figures, as they offer their views on the advantages and challenges facing emerging gene editing technologies both at home and abroad.

Since the birth of Louise Brown - the world’s first IVF baby - in England in 1978, many children have been born through in vitro fertilisation. IVF doesn’t work for everyone but over the last few decades basic research into human reproduction has brought about huge improvements. In the UK the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, passed in 1990, made it illegal for research on human embryos to be permitted beyond 14 days. In a dozen other countries, from Canada and Australia to Iceland and South Korea the 14 day limit is enshrined in law and in five others, including China, India and the US, there are guidelines that recommend that limit. Just recently researchers at Cambridge University have kept embryos alive in the lab for 13 days. They and others are calling for the limit to be extended for another one or two weeks, so they can study why early pregnancies fail. Matthew Hill reports on the issues raised by these new developments in embryo research. Image: Light micrograph of fertilized human egg cell © Science Photo Library

  The number of couples seeking fertility treatment is rising every year.  But donor assisted conception poses huge ethical and human rights issues.  Up until 10 years ago, sperm donors and women who donated eggs had a right to remain anonymous.  Then the law was changed in 2005 giving donor conceived people the right to information about their donors.  Most people agree that this was a milestone to be celebrated, but does it go far enough? This podcast explores the issues.  it is drawn from an event organised by the Progress Educational Trust  and is introduced by the Chair of the event, Charles Lister, Chair of the National Gamete Donation Trust, and former Head of Policy at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. He quoted a speech by the Public Health Minister, Melanie Johnson made in 20014, 'Clinics decide to provide treatment using donors; patients make a decision to receive treatment using donors; donors decide to donate. Donor-conceived children, however, do not decide to be born – is it therefore right that access to information about the donation that led to their birth should be denied to them?' This quote encapsulates the essence of the debates that led to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (Disclosure of Donor Information) Regulations 2004, which allow donor-conceived people born from donations made after 1 April 2005 access to identifying information about their donor on reaching the age of 18. It also set the scene for a series of lively presentations from a panel of five experts, who took to the stage to offer their perspective on the impact of the legislation. First to speak was Juliet Tizzard, Director of Strategy at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), who gave the regulator's perspective on the change in law. Tizzard identified the lack of reliable outcome metrics in relation to donor conception as a key challenge, and hindrance, to accurate impact evaluation of the 2004 regulations. She also opined that the assessment of post-regulation sperm and egg donation trend as proxy measure of impact showed a gradual but steady increase in number of new donors registering in the UK – a reality that is a far cry from the doomsday prophecies of the early critics of the law, who predicted the possibility of severe donor shortages arising as a result of the end to donor anonymity. Next on stage was Dr Jo Rose, a donor-conceived adult who won a landmark court case that contributed to the decision to end donor anonymity in the UK. In her presentation, Rose argued that donor-conceived children should, as a matter of course, have more support and the right to access full and complete information about their genetic parent, particularly because 'wrong and incomplete medical history kills people'. She also argued that a lack of retrospective access to identifying information means a number of donor-conceived people born before April 2005 live the rest of their lives 'tortured' by not knowing who their genetic family is. 'Why then should we have legislation that protects the rights of donors but ignores the rights of donor offspring?' she asked the audience, and quoted Kevin Staudt's song, Novum: Rose's presentation gave a personal note to the debate and made it easy to appreciate the rationale behind her call for retrospective disclosure of donor identity. According to her, more needs to be done to ensure 'equality and respect for genetic kinship and identity for all groups of the society'. Eric Blyth, Emeritus Professor of Social Work at the University of Huddersfield, also made a case for retrospective disclosure of donor identity. Using data from the HFEA, Professor Blyth argued that the lack of retrospective access to identifying donor information means that upwards of 20,000 donor-conceived people born between 1991–2004 in the UK are denied the right to learn the identify of their donor. Blyth also argued that,

Matthew Bannister on Professor Lisa Jardine, the historian whose intellectual curiosity stretched across the arts and sciences. She was chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and a regular broadcaster on Radio 4. Philip French, for thirty-five years the Chief Film Critic of the Observer. Ronnie Massarella who built up a successful family ice cream business and managed the British showjumping team for 32 years. And Maureen O'Hara, the red haired Irish film star known as the Queen of Technicolor. She appeared opposite John Wayne in five of his films including the Quiet Man.

Professor Lisa Jardine, academic, biographer and public thinker, is interviewed by Kirsty Young for Desert Island Discs. Historian, biographer, public thinker, mathematician - her proclivities are wide ranging and well regarded with prize winning books on subjects as diverse as Sir Christopher Wren, Seventeenth century Holland, Erasmus and women in the time of Shakespeare. Her current day job is leading the Department of Renaissance Studies at University College London, she's also a prolific writer and broadcaster. If that all seems a little ivory tower for your tastes think again; as Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for many years she was at the sharp end of the complex conundrums and high emotion that surround the artificial creation of life, leading the world in developing the legal framework that governs IVF treatment. Her rigour and originality, then, are greatly admired and both seem to have been in evidence since the beginning - her schoolgirl contemporaries had pictures of Elvis by their beds. Lisa had other ideas, as a teenager she gazed lovingly at a photo of a brilliant mathematician. She says: "I only do things I love, and I love everything I do ..." Producer: Sarah Taylor.

These days many of us check out TripAdvisor if we are booking a hotel.  We want to see what people like us think of the service, the staff, the food, the pool....... It's a great idea for bed and breakfast, but is the TripAdvisor approach, where consumers are encouraged to give their unvarnished views, the right approach for Fertility Clinics, where life changing decisions are being made? The UK's Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has decided to give more prominence to patient views and an event, A Trip Advisor for Fertility Clinics - Would You Recommend It? was held at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London's Regent's Park last month (April 2015) organised by Progress Educational Trust and sponsored by the British Fertility Society, to look at how best to do so. The HFEA's plans are consistent with an emphasis on patient choice and patient empowerment in recent health policy. Since 2007, for example, the NHS Choices website has published patient feedback on NHS hospitals and services, in the form of both star ratings and free text. Last year the National Information Board, of which the HFEA is a member, issued proposals which take this approach further. But such an approach is contentious. TripAdvisor has attracted controversy, with critics questioning its ability to vouch for the honesty and reliability of customer reviews. And since more than half of all fertility treatment in the UK is carried out in the private sector, people writing and reading feedback may be customers as well as patients. So clinicians, patients, companies and representatives of patients' organisations gathered at the event to explore the issues. All agreed. that the patient view is very important, and must be reflected, along with metrics such as success rates and inspection reports. Patients want to see what other patients are saying. But there was also concern expressed that a small numbers of responses could give a misleading impression, that clinics with active public relations staff could ensure good feedback, and that untried and unproven treatments, such as homeopathy, might get the thumbs up from patients despite having no rigorous evidence base. Speakers were: Juliet Tizzard, Director of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Dr Yacoub Khalaf, Member of the the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and Director and Person Responsible of Guy's Hospital's Assisted Conception Unit Susan Seenan, Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK, and Co-Chair of Fertility Fairness Antonia Foster, Senior Associate at solicitors, Carter-Ruck The event was chaired by Professor Adam Balen, Chair of the British Fertility Society, and Consultant in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at the Leeds Centre for Reproductive Medicine This is a recording of the event. Photo by Mehmet Pinarci

Lisa Jardine reflects on the sensitive questions surrounding IVF as she comes to the end of her term as Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. "I would have loved to have been able to have spoken more often and more publicly, with more words of caution for those preparing to undertake IVF, or postponing their family because IVF seems a reliable option should natural conception fail." Producer: Sheila Cook.

One of the Coalition Government's first actions was to attempt a bonfire of the quangos. In order that the baby should not be thrown out with the bathwater, one has to consider what areas of life do and do not need regulation. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is highly regarded and is a good example of inexpensive necessary regulation in the interests of patients and children. It has however been under consideration for abolition. There are good and bad quangos. What general principles should govern regulation and who should do the regulating?This is part of Baroness Deech' series Regulation, Regulation, Regulation.

We will examine why infertility and its treatment are problematic, and why there should be regulation of this field. An explanation will be given of the technology, from 'simple' IVF to cloning. We will look at choices of treatment, and trace the history of regulation in this country, the passage of the 1990 Act, its effect on other countries, and the 2008 HFE Bill.