"The guideline committee considered a recent survey by the fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which showed almost three-quarters of people who had had fertility treatment between September and October 2024 had said they were using additional tests or emerging technologies, despite most not being proven to work. And only 37% of those questioned said the risks of any add-ons had been explained."
"The updated draft guidance specifically advises against: endometrial scratch where the lining of the womb is "scratched" with a small sterile plastic tube before IVF hysteroscopy - a fine telescope like instrument is used to visualise the womb, as a pre-treatment to improve IVF outcomes"
"Dr Fergus Macbeth, chair of NICE's fertility guideline committee, said clinics should focus on proven treatments rather than offering unproven add-ons that may do more harm than good. "People going through fertility treatment are often willing to try anything that might help them conceive. "This makes them vulnerable to being offered treatments that sound promising but haven't been properly tested."
NICE draft guidance instructs NHS and private fertility clinics not to offer unproven treatments that do not increase chances of having children. The guidance advises against endometrial scratching and hysteroscopy as pre-treatments intended to improve IVF outcomes. The guidance recommends wider availability of fertility preservation services such as egg freezing, including for women with severe, recurrent endometriosis. A recent HFEA survey found nearly three-quarters of people undergoing fertility treatment used additional unproven tests or technologies, and only 37% reported being informed about add-on risks. Clinics must give patients full information on likely success rates and risks.
Read at www.bbc.com
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