Navigating reproductive health issues as a lesbian couple - blog (14 October 2021)

Summary

In this blog for the website Cysters, Kiran Chalke and Hayle Davis share their experiences of accessing gynaecology and reproductive services as a lesbian couple. They describe the barriers they have faced to accessing IVF and highlight disparities in the treatment of heterosexual and same-sex couples on the NHS. They also discuss the impact that bias in the system and from individual healthcare workers has had on both of their experiences of gynaecology treatment. The attitudes of staff and failure to read their notes fully has resulted in the couple feeling uncomfortable in healthcare settings and in treatment delays that have had a real impact on their quality of life.