Abstract
The year 2018 marked 40 years since the birth of Louise Brown, the first baby born
as a result of pioneering in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Since then, advances
have seen a wide range of reproductive technologies emerge into clinical practice,
including adjuvant treatments often referred to as IVF “add-ons.” However, these “optional
extras” have faced growing criticism, especially when they have often come at additional
financial cost to the patient and have little evidence supporting their efficacy to
improve pregnancy or birth rates. Despite this, according to the latest national patient
survey by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, three quarters of patients
who had fertility treatment in the United Kingdom in the past two years had at least
one type of treatment add-on highlighting the growing demand for these interventions.
This article uses a psychosocial perspective to consider the motivations behind patient
and clinician behavior along with the wider societal and economic factors that may
be impacting upon the increase in the use of adjuvant treatments in fertility clinics
more widely. It suggests the reasons fertility patients use unproven “optional extras”
are complex, with interpersonal, psychological, and social factors intertwining to
generate an increase in the use of IVF add-ons.
Keywords
adjuvant treatments - in vitro fertilization - infertility - add-ons - psychosocial
