After three failed IUI-treatments, married lesbian couple, Danielle and Sophie from Birmingham, sought support in Denmark instead.
The couple, who wanted to start a family, had unfortunately experienced three failed IUI-treatments – also known as In Vitro Fertilisation – in the UK and felt they were being pressured into IVF-treatment as their next steps. Instead, the couple researched their options and discovered that Denmark could potentially offer them what they needed. After a short Google search and video call, their flights were booked to Denmark, and Danielle and Sophie are now expecting their first child.
A press release about Sophie and Danielle’s story explains: “In Europe there are huge differences between each country’s legislation, costs, and opportunities for fertility treatments for lesbian couples. In the UK, numerous tests, long waiting times, and high costs are a precondition.
“IUI-procedures in the UK cost about £1,300 per attempt excluding donor sperm, but the price in Denmark is less than half. In the UK, lesbian couples must go through six attempted inseminations, before they can receive government support. But in their experience, the British clinics pressure their clients to overtreatment. In Sophie and Danielle’s case, the clinic wanted to transfer them to IVF-treatments after only three IUI-attempts.”
Talking about their experience, Sophie said: “Having a baby would be a dream come true for us, and we needed to be treated and seen and heard like anyone else who wants to have a baby. In the UK, fertility treatment as a lesbian is a long and costly process, and after three failed IUI-attempts, they wanted us to try an IVF-treatment. So, we explored the opportunities outside the UK and stumbled upon Diers Clinic in Denmark. This may sound clichéd, but we immediately knew what we had to do – we were going to Denmark.”
Danielle – who in December was inseminated through IUI in Denmark during their second trip to the country – added: “Fertility treatment in Britain is expensive, and the three inseminations cost us over £4,000. When you want a baby, the money is not what’s important. To us, the big difference was that we in Denmark we didn’t have to fight for what we wanted. In Britain, we constantly had to defend our choices, and when the inseminations were unsuccessful, the system wanted us to transfer to IVF-treatment.
“It’s important to me that the process was as natural as possible, and I was relieved to come to Denmark, where we felt they listened to our wishes. The second insemination attempt was a success, and it shows British doctors look squarely to set predetermined treatment plans that are often best suited for heterosexual couples, and not what treatment is right for the individual couple.”
As the couple now await the arrival of their first child, they are sharing their story to encourage other lesbian couples to explore their fertility options outside the UK.
