Unequal Opportunities: How Social Status and Funding Cuts Affect the Chances of Success with IVF

The study "Exploring Socio-Economic Characteristics Associated With Having a Live Birth Using Assisted Reproductive Technology Compared to Conceiving Naturally: Evidence From the UK Household Longitudinal Survey 2009-2022" by Heather Brown (Lancaster University) and Sophie Guthmuller (Vienna University of Economics and Business) examines how socio-economic and regional factors influence a woman's likelihood of having a live birth through in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

Drawing on data from the Understanding Society Survey between 2009 and 2022, the researchers employed random effects probit models to analyse the determinants of a live birth via IVF and to assess the impact of unequal decreases in regional IVF funding across England. The findings show that living in London, being older, being in employment, having degree-level education, and owning a home are significantly associated with a higher likelihood of a live birth using IVF. The study also reveals that less generous funding after 2019 led to a decrease in successful IVF conceptions in Yorkshire and the Humber. In other words, limited individual resources combined with regional differences in IVF funding reduce reproductive autonomy by restricting access to assisted reproductive technology.