Lack of evidence for interventions offered in UK fertility centres

Infertility affects about one in seven couples, many of whom seek medical help to have a child. In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is expensive-a single cycle can cost 5000 (5800; $6200)-and places considerable financial burden on patients, especially as 59% of procedures are not NHS funded. 3 On top of this UK fertility treatment centres offer a range of additional investigations and treatments, 4 costing from 50 for a single screening blood test to as much as 8000 for egg freezing packages (box 1).