title: Fertility services for same-sex couples: policy and practice.
abstract: Access to safe and high-quality fertility services is essential for the health of both the woman requiring services and any resulting child. While having children is a human right and legislation and society have become more liberal, same-sex couples may have problems accessing fertility services for several reasons. There is still significant opposition to same-sex couples accessing fertility treatment services, which are already stretched and vary across the country. Some lesbian couples access private clinics, which involve a number of costs because they believe these are more willing to treat same-sex couples. Women may make informal self-fertilisation arrangements; this poses health risks in terms of sexually transmitted infections and a lack of prenatal and holistic advice and care. As patient advocates, nurses and nurse managers can identify areas where services could be more inclusive. Nurses could push for accessible, high-quality fertility services, using policy and evidence to support their development. On way forward may be to encourage more self-insemination at home in a safe way. This has the potential to increase patient empowerment and reduce costs to the NHS. However, any such innovation should always have the safety and equality of patients at its core.
authors.affiliation: Accident and Emergency Department, Royal Free Hospital, London.
authors.forename: Kerry Anne
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Wykes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*