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General health outcomes in women who have undergone fertility treatment
We would like to invite you to take part in a short survey to help us with our research study.
What are we trying to do? This is a large study of women who underwent fertility treatment including IVF, in the UK between 1991 and 2009. We would like to compare long-term health outcomes of women who underwent fertility treatment with similar women who conceived naturally.
Why are we doing this? Recently, there has been a global increase in the number of women who have undergone fertility treatment, including IVF, and approximately 54,000 women underwent around 75,000 fertility treatments in the UK in 2017 alone. Assisted reproduction cycles typically require 2-4 weeks of hormonal stimulation, and some women are subjected to multiple rounds of treatment resulting in elevated exposure to hormones (including oestrogen and progesterone). This could be a source of concern for patients, because of its potential effects on the short and long-term health of these women.
The results of this research will allow couples and clinicians to make informed choices as well as policy makers. This is possible in the UK as we have electronic NHS health records and reporting of all cycles of assisted reproductive therapy undertaken in the UK to the Human Fertilization & Embryology Authority (HFEA) is a legal requirement.
How will we do this? We will use information about all women who underwent fertility treatment in the UK between 1991 and 2009, and match them with women of a similar age who conceived naturally. This will be linked to cancer and health outcomes of these women using NHS medical records and data from the Human Fertilization & Embryology Authority.
Why have I been chosen? Before we start the study, we would like to obtain information from women who have undergone or are considering fertility treatment, as well as women who have conceived naturally, by answering the questions below. Your views are very important in helping us to design this study. Your participation in this survey is entirely voluntary and refusal to participate will not involve any penalty or loss of benefits. We acknowledge that the questions in this survey address sensitive areas and please be assured that your responses will remain anonymous. If you are affected by any of the questions and would like further support, please visit fertility network who have a support line.
Professor Alastair Sutcliffe and the Fertility Research Team, Institute of Child Health, University College London
Disclaimer: By submitting the completed questionnaire, you imply consent to participate. Once data is submitted, it cannot be withdrawn post-participation as the survey is completely anonymous.
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