DIY at-home insemination kits claiming to be twice as effective as IVF will be trialled on the NHS.
Priced at £700, the kits are 20 times cheaper than in vitro fertilisation and open the doors to more couples hoping to start a family.
The NHS currently only funds IVF and intrauterine insemination (IUI) for couples who are struggling to conceive.
IVF involves fertilising an egg in a laboratory before inserting it into the woman’s womb to grow, while IUI involves inserting sperm directing into a woman’s womb.
If couples in England and Wales are hoping for fertility treatment on the NHS, they will be considered against a set of criteria, with eligibility and wait lists varying greatly between areas.
But the new treatment developed by Béa Fertility hopes to cut through barriers, with a focus on people traditionally excluded from free fertility treatments, including same-sex couples and single women.
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The at-home treatment is called intracervical insemination (ICI) and has been shown to be 50 per cent effective over six cycles of treatment.
IVF, comparatively, is 27 per cent successful for women aged 35 to 37 years old, and 32 per cent successful for women under the age of 35.
ICI involves placing a small cap of semen at the cervix (neck of the womb) using an applicator, meaning you do not need to have sex in order to use it.
The cap is left in place for an hour, during which time women can go about their day as normal, and the sperm is more easily able to travel towards the egg for fertilisation.
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Two weeks later, users test for pregnancy.
The kit has a number of benefits, including that it doesn’t involve clinic visits, hormones, invasive injections or medicines.
IVF users need a number of injections, patches and pills to boost fertility, which can be a gruelling process for some.
ICI was popular in the 60s, but fell out of fashion as clinics turned to ‘higher value' treatments like IVF.
But from August, GPs at South Fulham primary care network in south-west London will be able to refer patients seeking fertility support to Béa Fertility.
The kits will be given to patients in Hammersmith and Fulham for the pilot.
After this, Béa will work with the NHS to determine how the scheme could be funded if introduced more widely.
'FILLING A GAP'
Dr Isobel Neville, GP at Sands End Health Clinic (part of South Fulham PCN), said: "I'm so excited to go live with Béa.
"At South Fulham we're passionate about improving access to women's health services.
"That includes fertility care, and we're proud to be working with Béa Fertility to offer those services to our patients."
People can also buy the kits directly from the website.
The first kits are just £350 for three ICI treatment cycles.
At full price, the Béa Treatment Kit will retail at £700 for three treatment cycles. One cycle of IVF costs £5,000 or more.
The first people to use the DIY kits will be part of the first at-home fertility treatment study.
Data will be collected on efficacy before being presented at the IFFS World Congress in Athens, Greece, later this year.
Tess Cosad, CEO and co-founder at Béa Fertility, said: "Fertility impacts one in six couples, yet access to fertility care is severely lacking globally.
"Fertility clinics have been selling the same expensive treatments for decades, yet there are a number of groups which remain underserved, including the LGBTQIA+ community, single people and parents experiencing secondary infertility.
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"At Béa, our aim is to fill this gap by creating inclusive, clinical-grade fertility treatments that can be used at home.
"We’re really excited to be putting our pioneering fertility treatment in the hands of the people who need it most."
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