Resources

Useful Organisations

ACeBabes
Offering support during pregnancy, multiple births, parenting after infertility, donor conception for donors and recipients, decisions surrounding frozen embryos, trying for siblings or deciding to end treatment and telling the children of their conception. Providing a quarterly newsletter, sub-group newssheets, meetings, personal contacts for specific conditions and interactive website.

Tel: 01332 832558
Website: www.acebabes.co.uk

ARC - ante-natal results and choices
ARC provides non-directive support and information to parents throughout the antenatal testing process. It helps parents arrive at the most appropriate decision for them in the context of their family life.

Tel:0207 631 0280
Website: www.arc-uk.org

Association of Clinical Embryologists (ACE)
The Association of Clinical Embryologists (ACE) is the professional body of and for embryologists. It was founded in 1993 to promote high standards of practice in clinical embryology and to support the professional interests of embryologists working in the UK. The ACE now has in excess of 330 members.

Tel: 01954 717206
Website: ace.ivf.net

British Andrology Society
Formed as a special interest group in 1977 for scientists and clinicians working in the field of human and mammalian reproduction with an interest in the male.

Website: www.britishandrology.org.uk

British Fertility Society(BFS)
The British Fertility Society is a national multidisciplinary organisation representing professionals practising in the field of reproductive medicine. Areas of clinical and research interest within its remit include infertility, endometriosis, fertility control, assisted conception, psychosexual problems, menopause, menstrual control, male infertility and reproductive surgery. The Society works closely with other professional organisations and governmental bodies such as the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists to promote good practice and high clinical and laboratory standards in the field.

Tel: 01454 642217
Website: www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk

British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA)
BICA aims to promote high quality, accessible counselling services for people with fertility problems. The Association offers information to patients who are seeking details of counsellors specialising in infertility.

Tel: 0114 263 1448
Website: www.bica.net

British Medical Association (BMA)
The BMA represents doctors from all branches of medicine all over the UK.

Tel: 020 7387 4499
Website: www.bma.org

British Society for Human Genetics
An independent body representing UK human genetics professionals working in all areas from cutting edge research to the delivery of genetic services to the population of the UK.

Tel: 0121 627 2634
Website: www.bshg.org.uk

Care
A Christian charity involved in Bioethics, Family, Media, Citizenship and Education.

Tel: 020 7233 0455.
Website: www.care.org.uk

CHILD (The National Infertility Support Network)
Provides support and the exchange of information to infertility sufferers. Campaigns to raise awareness of the impact of infertility and to improve access to treatment.

Tel: 01424 732361
Website: www.child.org.uk

Child Bereavement Trust
The Charity’s philosophy is based on learning from families who have experienced the death of a baby or child or from children who have experienced the death of their mother or father, brother or sister.

Tel: 0845 357 1000
Website: www.childbereavement.org.uk

Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE)
CORE is a public interest group focusing on ethical dilemmas surrounding human reproduction, particularly the new technologies of assisted conception.

Tel: 020 7581 2623
Website: www.corethics.org

Donor Conception Network (DC Network)
Provides contact and support for those who have children, or plan family creation, conceived using donated gametes through donor insemination (DI) and IVF with donor sperm or donated eggs. Also for adult offspring of donor conception.

Tel: 020 8245 4369
Website: www.dcnetwork.org

Fertility Connect
The site offers impartial information regarding fertility, infertility and treatments available in the U.K. There is a free chat room for people to share their experiences with each other. There is also a facility for individuals to contact fertility nurse specialists, counsellors and embryologists for more individualised information and support.

Website: www.FertilityConnect.com

Fertility Friends
Fertility Friends is a meeting place for couples in the UK fertility community. Its aim is to help people through the difficult process of assisted conception by sharing thoughts, experiences and knowledge with others.

Website: www.fertilityfriends.co.uk

Genetic Interest Group
A national alliance of organisations which support children, families and individuals affected by genetic disorders.

Tel: 020 7704 3141
Website: www.gig.org.uk

HFEA
The HFEA is a non-departmental Government body that regulates and inspects all UK clinics providing IVF, donor insemination or the storage of eggs, sperm or embryos. The HFEA also licenses and monitors all human embryo research being conducted in the UK.

Tel: 020 7539 3308
Website: www.hfea.gov.uk

Issue (The National Fertility Association)
Provides fact sheets, professional telephone counselling, magazines and a support network of other members.

Website: www.issue.co.uk

Life
LIFE is a pro-life organisation and “committed to upholding the utmost respect for human life from fertilisation (conception)”.

Tel: 01926 421587 / 311667 / 316737
Website: www.lifeuk.org

Miscarriage Association
Provides support and information on the subject of pregnancy loss.

Tel: 01924 200799
Website: www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk

Multiple Births Foundation
Provides professional support and information about all aspects of multiple births.

Tel: 0208 383 3519
Website: www.multiplebirths.org.uk

National Childbirth Trust
Offers information and support in pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood, aiming to give every parent the chance to make informed choices.

Tel: 0870 444 8707
Website: www.nct-online.org

National Gamete Donation Trust (NGDT)
The NGDT was founded as a registered charity in April 1998 in order to raise awareness of and seek ways to alleviate the national shortage of sperm, egg and embryo donors in the United Kingdom.

Tel: 01256 335622
Website: www.ngdt.co.uk

National Infertility Awareness Campaign (NIAC)
A lobbying organisation campaigning for NHS funding for all infertility treatment on an equal basis across the UK. Gives advice on the current situation with regard to NHS funding and on campaigning/lobbying activities.

Website: www.repromed.co.uk/niac/

The ProLife Alliance
The ProLife Alliance is Europe’s first Pro-Life Political Party.

Tel: 020 7351 9955
Website: www.prolife.org.uk

Progress Educational Trust (PET)
Provides information on infertility and human genetics, and promotes public and professional discussion on their ethical and legal implications. PET holds regular public debates and conferences and publishes a free web and email news service – BioNews.

Tel: 020 7278 7870
Website: www.progress.org.uk

RRoyal College of Midwives

Tel: 020 7312 3535
Website: www.rcm.org.uk

Royal College of Nursing
The RCN has a Fertility Nurse Group.

Tel: 020 7409 3333 (main RCN number)
Website: www.rcn.org.uk

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Encourages the study and the advancement of the science and practice of obstetrics and gynaecology.

Tel: 020 7772 6200
Website: www.rcog.org.uk

Society for the Protection of Unborn Children
Aims to:
To affirm, defend and promote the existence and value of human life from the moment of conception, and to defend and protect human life generally.
To reassert the principle laid down in the United Nations 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child that the child “needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth.”
To defend, assist and promote the life and welfare of mothers during pregnancy and of their children from the time of conception up to, during and after birth.
To examine existing or proposed laws, legislation or regulations relating to abortion and to support or oppose such as appropriate.

Tel: 020 7222 5845
Website: www.spuc.org.uk

Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS)
Provides support for parents and families whose baby is stillborn or dies soon after birth.

Tel: 020 7436 5881
Website: www.uk-sands.org

UK DonorLink
A pilot voluntary contact register set up to enable people conceived through donated sperm, and / or eggs , their donors and half-siblings to exchange information and where desired to contact each other. The register is specifically for anyone over the age of 18 who was conceived using donated sperm or eggs, or who donated, in the UK, before the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act came into force in August 1991.

Website: www.ukdonorlink.org.uk