Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts equipment used for embryo biopsy.
BioNews
HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority)
A UK non-departmental public body established by an Act of Parliament in 1990, which regulates treatment using eggs and sperm, and treatment and research involving human embryos. It sets standards for, and issues licences to, fertility treatment and embryo research centres.
481 articles
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
The future of fertility
Falling fertility rates are reshaping societies worldwide. The challenge is no longer simply encouraging people to have children, but creating conditions in which family life feels achievable...
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts equipment used for embryo biopsy.
DNA testing and donor conception: New leaflets to support informed choices
Lucy Frith, professor of bioethics and health research at the University of Manchester and lead of the ConnecteDNA project, discusses the new information leaflets they have produced designed to help donors, donor-conceived people and families navigate the growing impact of online DNA testing on donor conception...
Court rules that sperm donor cannot be named father on birth certificate
A prolific sperm donor has been denied a declaration of parentage for a child conceived using his sperm...
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts equipment used for embryo biopsy.
Podcast Review: The Queer Family Podcast – Lesbian IVF journey
This Queer Family Podcast episode on lesbian IVF journeys, highlights both the emotional intensity of assisted reproduction and the broader social and ethical questions it raises...
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts equipment used for embryo biopsy.
What Does the NICE Fertility Guideline Update Mean for You?
At the latest PET event, experts gathered to discuss the newly updated NICE Fertility Guideline, exploring major changes to IVF recommendations, emerging fertility pathways, and persistent inequalities in access to treatment across the UK...
Information, empathy and ethical concerns: AI's role in surrogacy support
With young people increasingly using AI for health and fertility research, SurrogacyUK assessed AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and CoPilot to understand their accuracy, empathy, and ethical implications in supporting surrogacy journeys...
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
Bus company offers paid time off for IVF
A UK bus company will offer paid leave to employees undergoing IVF treatment...
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
PGT-P in the UK: The public needs more from the HFEA
'The current position, in which regulatory caution forecloses access to a technology that is already in routine clinical use in comparable jurisdictions, does not serve patients well and deserves scrutiny,' writes Dr Cristina Hickman...