The Friday Question

[Oneeyedvic]

On the back of the news story earlier this week regarding a Romanian 66 year old giving birht:

 

Should the NHS offer free fertility treatment to anyone.

 

Just to kick this off - personally I think not for two main reasons.

 

1) There are plenty of children who need to be adopted / fostered.

 

2) If you really want to give birth, you should save up yourself. If you can't afford to save up, then you really shouldn't have a child.

[woofgang]

I am one of those women unable to have children and I also work for the NHS. I do not think that fertility treatment should be providedat present.Slainte has a point. The NHS can't even provide the basics fairly at the moment and, sorry, but IMHO fertility treatment is a social luxury. While people (including children) have to wait for life saving treatments and children with certain disabilities have to have their artificial limbs and wheelchairs purchased privately because there is a lack of funds, then funding "choice" treatments should stay on the back burner. I know about the pain of not having a family, I also know that, for me anyway, there are other ways of finding fulfilment and before there was fertility treatment and thats not so long ago, that's what women (and men) did.

I also think that it is a worrying thing when people so define themselves in terms of the function of a small part of their totality that the failure of that small part ruins their entire lives. Jargon, but you know what I mean.

Well that's my rant over for the day. Hi Ho and off to do the ironing

[Oneeyedvic]

Many thnaks for all your opinions, I am glad that some women did agree.

Three stars to everyone

[Miss Zippy]

Oneeyedvic, you say you're glad some women agree with you as if it's a female only issue!  Mens' bits go wrong too you know. As a woman who has no desire to have children, I nevertheless wouldn't want to deprive another person (male or female) of the chance of having a child naturally if it's important to them. 

[jimmer]

Vic

 

denying couples fertility treatment on the NHS would not increase adoption and would not prevent coples with fertility problems from becoming a burden to the state. How do you deal with the couple who borrow way beyond their means for private fertility treatment then can't pay it back? do you remove social  safety nets to protect the public purse from bankrupt parents? Are you suggesting that success and the ability to make decisions should be made entirely on economic grounds?

 

jim

[Oneeyedvic]

Miss Zippy - I mention women as fertility treatment is for women in the main. - I also mentioned male low sperm count in one of my previous posts, so I am hardly denting men's problems.

Jimner, I can't say I agree with your logic. Just as a minority of peeopl get into debt becasue they can't afford something, so that will continue. However to say that people will get into debt purely because the NHS doesn't offer free treatment is another matter.

Also note that it is generally not the public purse that is affected when someone goes bankrupt. And if an irresponsible lender wants to lend money to people who are in debt, then that is another issue.

I beleive a lot of people will save up (just as people in there 20's have to save up for a house deposit etc), and a lot of people will adopt / foster.  Woofgang (see above posting) said it much clearer than I can, but it is sad that people think that they are not complete unless they give birth.  

[OLIVEBUS]

As a very proud uncle of a five year old whos Mum went through premature menopause i am fed up with these headline cases of 99 year olds giving birth. In my sisters case the treatment(on the NHS) cost several thousand pounds out of her own and our extended family circle pockets and was worth every penny.She and her partner had to go through scrutiny by several bodies including the Church annd Social services. A more planned for child you could not ask for and a lot more difficult than a bunk up on a Saturday night creating a child who is not wanted and a burden on the state for the rest of it,s life .We have a crisis in this country of chidren not nurtured by there parent or parents so when a couple spend years to create a child they should be applauded and helped.

[buchanan]

Well said Olivebus!

Well said.

Well said.