Understand
Plain-language explainers for treatments, conditions, tests, and medications — each one sourced, dated, and medically reviewed.
Explore →Fertility care, made clearer
Find, understand, and compare fertility care with clearer evidence
Calm, plain-language information and verified-source provider profiles — so you can prepare better questions for your care team.
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Start with the treatments
All treatmentsTreatment
Egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation)
Egg freezing collects and freezes unfertilised eggs so they can be stored and used later. People choose it for medical reasons, such as before certain cancer treatments, or to keep open the option of a future pregnancy. Eggs are usually frozen by vitrification (ultra-fast freezing).
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Treatment
In vitro fertilisation (IVF)
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a treatment where eggs are collected from the ovaries and combined with sperm in a laboratory. If fertilisation is successful, one or more resulting embryos can be transferred to the uterus. A full cycle usually takes about three to six weeks.
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Treatment
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
ICSI is a form of IVF where an embryologist injects a single sperm directly into each egg in the laboratory. It is mainly used when there are concerns about sperm number, movement, or shape, or after previous fertilisation problems. Every other stage is the same as standard IVF.
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Treatment
Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
Intrauterine insemination (IUI), also called artificial insemination, places prepared sperm directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation. It is a less invasive, lower-cost option than IVF and is used in specific situations, including with donor sperm.
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Guides for the journey
All guidesGuide
Getting started with fertility care
A calm first-steps guide for anyone beginning to think about fertility care: when to seek help, what an initial assessment usually involves, and how to prepare useful questions for your first appointment.
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Guide
How to choose a fertility clinic
A practical guide to comparing fertility clinics fairly: why there is no single 'best' clinic, how to read success-rate claims critically, how the HFEA rates treatment add-ons by evidence, and how to check a clinic's licence.
Reviewed
Guide
Questions to ask your clinic or specialist
A ready-made set of questions to bring to a fertility appointment, grouped by theme and based on the HFEA's own suggested questions, so you can have clearer conversations about your options, risks, add-ons, and costs.
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