Progress in the marketplace

This year the Progress Educational Trust (PET) decided to exhibit at the Fertility Show again. The Fertility Show is a popular consumer event aimed at those who want information or advice on fertility. But as such, it evokes mixed feelings, which Olivia Montuschi summarises well on her blog:

'Its commercial razmatazz feels very wrong. This is to do with creating members of the human family, intimate relationships and the well-being of men, women and especially children. Rubber sperm, novelty pencils and financial deals should not belong in this world, but on the other hand where else can couples and individuals hungry for information, find many leading experts in all aspects of assisted family making under one roof'. (1)

Fundamentally, for many, assisted conception is not available on the NHS. This creates a 'market' for fertility treatment and an industry develops around that core need, offering associated services and products. The Fertility Show itself is a commercial enterprise, attracting paying exhibitors selling products and services to paying visitors who make up this growing market.

And it's true that the 100 or so exhibitors use a variety of techniques and claims to promote those goods and services, and the effect of this can be confusing and overwhelming for people who may need help to have a baby. If taken together, these sales pitches may be contradictory and they would certainly be very expensive. And of course, these pitches are being made to people who may be more susceptible in their eagerness to learn about and improve their own fertility.

And that's why PET decided to exhibit. We're in the 'market', as we say in our strapline, to inform the debate on assisted conception. We aim to provide balanced comment and up-to-date news on assisted conception and genetics — primarily through this august publication. So being at the Fertility Show was important for us to help visitors be better informed, to guide them through the bewildering claims and to help them make the best decisions for their individual circumstances. And subscribing to BioNews is certainly a good place to start.

And I think that's why it was a shame that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) weren't at the Show. On the PET stand, we were repeatedly asked about whether the HFEA was still operating — we reassured the public that they were still the regulator. But it would have been helpful for potential patients if the HFEA had a presence there to provide reassurance themselves about the continuation of regulation to the public, to show patients how to best use their website to choose a clinic, and to showcase all the other information the HFEA provides. If the HFEA or its successor can't exhibit next year, perhaps how to choose a clinic should be the subject of a seminar. There's certainly a need for it.

Of course, exhibiting at the Show is a huge outlay both financially and in terms of time and as a charity, PET doesn't make a financial gain by attending. This is why it's critical that you support us by becoming a Friend of PET as part of our critical friends appeal, so that we can continue to provide free, independent news to people who need fertility treatment through BioNews.