FAQS
Answers to commonly asked questions about Care Fertility or your journey.
What causes fertility issues?
People thinking about fertility treatment often ask “Why are we having problems conceiving?” There are a number of reasons why people experience problems when trying to conceive. Around 30% of fertility issues are caused by female factors, around 30% to male, 20% combined male and female and 20% is unexplained.
The most common reason for female fertility issues is age, fertility begins to decrease after the age of 35, and by the age of 40 is in significant decline. Other reasons include:
- Problems with ovulation
- Issues with the womb or fallopian tubes including scar tissue or endometriosis
- Overall health, being overweight our underweight can impact fertility
The most common cause of fertility challenges for men involves poor quality or insufficient sperm. Problems can arise when either not enough sperm is being produced, or the sperm is of poor quality.
You can read in more detail about the causes of fertility issues in our Where to Start section.
How common are fertility issues?
What fertility treatment options are available?
How much does IVF treatment cost?
Do Care offer multi-cycle funding packages?
- This funding option can help pay for IVF treatment by offering a fixed, discounted fee for people who pre-pay for two cycles of IVF, rather than paying for each cycle individually.
- The IVF Refund programme offers up to 100% refund if you do not have a baby following 3 fresh cycles of IVF treatment.
- If you need IVF using donor eggs, our Carepay Donor Egg IVF Refund programme provides up to two cycles of IVF or ICSI using donor eggs, if the cycle(s) are successful, 50% of the upfront cost will be refunded to you, reducing the cost of your IVF Treatment
What factors affect the success of fertility treatment?
- Zymot sperm preparation
- Diet - Eating a healthy and balanced diet is crucial for both men and women when preparing to conceive.
What treatment options do Care offer for LGBTQ+ patients?
- IVF with donor sperm
- Shared Motherhood
- IUI with donor sperm
- Surrogacy
- IVF with donor eggs
- We offer transgender men and women the option of preserving their fertility prior to transitioning through egg, sperm or embryo freezing.
What is Shared Motherhood?
- Know from the beginning who will provide eggs and who will have the transfer – if you do, we will carry out investigations to make sure it is safe for the egg provider to undergo ovarian stimulation and check that they are likely to respond well. The person planning to carry the pregnancy will have investigations so that we are sure it is safe and suitable for them to carry the pregnancy;
How can I get started with IVF?
What happens at my first consultation?
- Body Mass Index (BMI) - this is a measure of body fat based on height and weight
Who are Carepals?
What is PGT-A and how is it performed at Care Fertility?
What is Caremaps AI?
Can I have sex during treatment?
- We recommend that you abstain from any form of ejaculation for the two to five days before your semen analysis to ensure a robust sample.
- Sex during the early stimulation phase of an IVF cycle is fine as long as you are using a form of barrier contraceptive eg. condom. If you were to ovulate unexpectedly, we want to avoid the possibility of multiple pregnancy.
- On returning home, we generally advise that you take things easy, avoiding lifting and strenuous activity including sexual intercourse.