The Evidence Behind This Tool

1 in 6

About 1 in 6 people are affected by infertility at some point in their lives (WHO, 2023). This is not a rare or niche experience, it is a workforce-scale issue.

World Health Organization, Infertility prevalence estimates 1990 to 2021, 2023.

52,400

52,400 people underwent fertility treatment in the UK in 2023. The majority self-fund, which means most continue working throughout treatment.

HFEA. Fertility Treatment 2023: Trends and Figures. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. 2025. www.hfea.gov.uk

27%

Only 27% of UK employers currently have a fertility-related workplace policy. Most employees navigate treatment without a policy to point to, and most employers want to change that.

CIPD. Workplace support for employees experiencing fertility challenges, investigations or treatment. Survey report. London: CIPD. 2023.

29%

29% of people who had fertility treatment used sick leave for it, and 23% took unpaid leave. Most people (59%) had not told their manager. Many go through this without telling anyone at work.

Totaljobs with the Fawcett Society. Paths to Parenthood: Navigating Fertility at Work (survey of 2,000 UK workers who had fertility treatment in the past five years). September 2023.

63%

63% of employees do not know whether their employer has a fertility policy. Even where policies exist, they are often invisible to the people who need them.

Fertility Matters at Work UK research (with This Can Happen, funded by Ferring Pharmaceuticals). 2025.

42%

42% of UK employees undergoing fertility treatment feel pressure to remain at work throughout, the highest figure of any country in the 2025 international survey.

Fertility Matters at Work, This Can Happen and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. Fertility Challenges at Work: International Insights 2025.

2 in 5

Almost 2 in 5 (39%) employees with fertility challenges said they had left or considered leaving their job during treatment.

Ferring, Fertility Matters at Work and This Can Happen, 2025; 3,030 employees in five countries including the UK.

£217 million

The estimated annual cost to UK employers of inadequate fertility workplace support. This is a maximum estimate based on HFEA 2023 data, ONS workforce statistics, and a survey of over 2,000 employees.

Fertility Matters at Work, with Ferring Pharmaceuticals and This Can Happen; cost analysis by Make An Impact CIC. The £217 Million Question. 2025. www.fertilitymattersatwork.com

18–24%

18–24% of people undergoing IVF experience anxiety, and 11–27% experience depression during treatment. These are significant rates, comparable to other major life stressors.

Hu JY et al. Scientific Reports. 2025; Li N et al. Scientific Reports. 2025.

29%

In a UK study of women after miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, 29% screened positive for post-traumatic stress one month later, and 18% at nine months (Farren et al. 2020).

Farren J et al. Posttraumatic stress, anxiety and depression following miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2020;222(4):367.e1–22.

AOR 0.58 / 0.60

Untreated depression or anxiety before IVF is associated with substantially lower odds of pregnancy (AOR 0.58) and live birth (AOR 0.60). This means that supporting psychological wellbeing during treatment is not only a welfare consideration, it has direct clinical implications for outcomes.

Cesta CE et al. Depression, anxiety, and antidepressant treatment in women: association with in vitro fertilisation outcome. Fertility and Sterility. 2016;105(6):1594–1602.

36%

36% of people discontinue fertility treatment before completing their planned cycles. Psychological burden is a leading cause, suggesting that workplace support has a direct role in treatment continuation.

Gameiro S et al. Human Reproduction Update. 2012;18(6):652–669.