Lesbian Influencers Take NHS to Court Over ‘Discriminatory’ Fertility Rules
Influencer duo Megan and Whitney Bacon-Evans are launching a legal battle against their local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). They claim the fertility policy is wildly unfair to same-sex couples.
12 Private Treatments vs. 2 Years of NHS Support
The couple say lesbian and bisexual women must shell out for 12 rounds of private fertility treatment before getting NHS help. Meanwhile, straight couples only need to try conceiving naturally for two years before getting NHS-funded IVF.
They’re furious. Megan said, “We were shocked and devastated to discover the discrimination that lesbian and bisexual women face in starting their family.”
National IVF Guidelines Ignored Locally
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends women under 40 should get three NHS IVF cycles if they’ve either:
- Been trying to conceive through unprotected sex for two years, or
- Failed to get pregnant after 12 artificial insemination attempts, including six intrauterine inseminations (IUI).
But local CCGs set their own rules — and some are harsher on lesbian and single women.
£30,000 to £50,000 to Have a Baby
Megan and Whitney estimate it costs between £30,000 and £50,000 for a same-sex female couple or single woman to have a baby. That includes private treatments, sperm costs, and storage fees.
The couple’s shock court challenge could expose glaring NHS fertility inequalities. Watch this space.
