A woman born without a womb has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the existing fertility treatment guidelines, characterizing them as riddled with discrimination and unequal treatment. Her distress stems from being unable to access NHS (National Health Service) resources for freezing her eggs.
Taelor Shand, aged 27, is afflicted with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome (MRKH), a rare condition affecting the female reproductive system. Her condition, which affects approximately one in 5,000 women, renders her unable to avail of NHS-backed egg freezing services.
In light of these limitations, Shand privately funded an egg collection procedure, costing around £7,000, to potentially facilitate future In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) using a surrogate’s womb.
While NHS Scotland currently excludes MRKH from its fertility preservation criteria, exceptions are made for individuals undergoing cancer treatment or preparing for gender transition.
Fertility Network UK, a charity, has advocated for a more inclusive approach, pushing for the criteria to encompass a broader spectrum of medical conditions.
Anticipating change, the Scottish government announced its intention to introduce guidance for standardized access to fertility preservation by next year.
Shand, who hails from Aberdeenshire, embarked on the egg collection process this month after being diagnosed with MRKH at age 14 while undergoing treatment for an unrelated medical condition.
Shand encountered her initial rejection for fertility preservation at the age of 25. A consultation that followed her treatment for another medical matter resulted in her exclusion from NHS services due to her inability to immediately undergo IVF or meet full eligibility criteria.
She attributes the prevailing disparities to insufficient awareness within the healthcare system about MRKH and its implications.
