Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

South Asian Heritage Month 2025: Breaking silence on fertility in the community

A landmark event during South Asian Heritage Month will explore the unique fertility challenges

South Asian fertility

The event follows recent data from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)

iStock

Highlights:

  • Event part of South Asian Heritage Month, taking place in London
  • Focus on fertility challenges faced by the South Asian community in the UK
  • Speakers include individuals with lived experience and reproductive health experts
  • HFEA data reveals ethnic disparities in IVF outcomes and patient satisfaction
  • Aims to break taboos, encourage open dialogue, and advocate for tailored care

Fertility event aims to spotlight inequalities and cultural stigma

A landmark event during South Asian Heritage Month will explore the unique fertility challenges faced by South Asian communities in the UK. Titled Breaking the Silence – Fertility Journeys in the South Asian Community, the event will take place in London on Tuesday 5 August from 5:30pm to 8:15pm.

The panel gathering will feature individuals with lived experience of infertility, baby loss and involuntary childlessness, alongside clinicians and mental health professionals specialising in reproductive care. The goal is to open up often-silenced conversations and address disparities in access to fertility treatment and patient outcomes among South Asian groups.


Ethnic disparities in fertility treatment outcomes

The event follows recent data from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which highlights troubling disparities in fertility treatment success. While overall IVF birth rates continue to improve, success rates for Asian patients remain lower. For those aged 18–37, the birth rate per embryo transferred is 27% for Asian patients and 25% for Black patients, compared with 33% for White patients.

The figures reflect long-standing concerns that ethnic minority patients do not receive the same quality of care or outcomes as others. Beyond clinical results, the HFEA’s National Patient Survey found that Black and Asian patients are less likely to report satisfaction with their fertility treatment.

Cultural barriers and need for tailored support

The panel event will tackle the cultural taboos and stigma often surrounding fertility within South Asian communities. Organisers hope the conversation will not only validate the emotional and social challenges many individuals face but also lead to meaningful action around culturally competent care.

Attendees will hear from those who have navigated complex fertility journeys, as well as professionals who are working to improve reproductive healthcare for ethnic minority communities. By fostering open dialogue, the event aims to break down barriers, increase awareness, and help bridge the gap in patient experience and outcomes.

Anita GuruInstagram/ _themindcoach_

More information

To attend or for further details, please get in touch with Anita Guru
Mail: anita@fertilitynetworkuk.org

For a detailed overview of the event, visit our website

More For You

Mounjaro price rise

Eli Lilly has agreed a discounted supply deal for its weight-loss drug Mounjaro

iStock

Mounjaro’s highest dose to rise from £122 to £247.50, not £330

Highlights:

  • Eli Lilly had announced a steep price rise of up to 170% for Mounjaro.
  • A new discount deal with UK suppliers will limit the increase for patients.
  • Pharmacies will still apply a mark-up, but consumer costs are expected to rise less than initially feared.
  • NHS pricing remains unaffected due to separate arrangements.

Eli Lilly has agreed a discounted supply deal for its weight-loss drug Mounjaro, easing fears of a sharp rise in costs for UK patients. The new arrangement means that, from September, pharmacies and private services will face smaller wholesale increases than first expected, limiting the impact on consumers.

Why the price rise was announced

Earlier this month, Eli Lilly said it would raise Mounjaro’s list price by as much as 170%, which could have pushed the highest monthly dose from £122 to £330. The company argued that UK pricing needed to align more closely with higher costs in Europe and the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less
chicken-pox-istock

The Department of Health said the rollout would reduce missed days at nursery and school, cut time parents take off work, and save the NHS about £15 million a year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

England to introduce free chickenpox vaccine for children from 2026

CHILDREN in England will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine for the first time from January 2026, the government has announced.

GP practices will give eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. Around half a million children each year are expected to be protected.

Keep ReadingShow less
Naga Munchetty urges women to prioritise their health

Naga Munchetty

Naga Munchetty urges women to prioritise their health

WHEN broadcaster and journalist Naga Munchetty began speaking openly about her experiences with adenomyosis and debilitating menstrual pain, the response was overwhelming.

Emails and messages poured in from women who had endured years of dismissal, silence and shame when it came to their health. That outpouring became the driving force behind her new book, It’s Probably Nothing, which calls for women to be heard and to advocate for themselves in a medical system that has too often ignored them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Serena Williams

Williams explained that her weight challenges began after the birth of her first daughter

Getty Images

Serena Williams says GLP-1 made her feel light physically and mentally after 31lb loss

Highlights:

  • Serena Williams reveals she has lost more than 31lbs using a GLP-1 medication
  • The tennis legend says the treatment enhanced her existing healthy lifestyle
  • She stresses that weight loss should not change self-image or self-confidence

Serena Williams has revealed she has lost more than 31lbs after turning to a weight-loss medication, saying the treatment has transformed both her body and her mindset.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, 43, told PEOPLE that using a GLP-1 medication — a type of injection that works by regulating appetite — has helped enhance the healthy lifestyle she already maintained through diet and exercise.

Keep ReadingShow less
Monica Seles

Seles first began noticing symptoms around five years ago

Getty Images

Tennis champion Monica Seles reveals living with myasthenia gravis

Highlights:

  • Nine-time Grand Slam winner Monica Seles diagnosed with myasthenia gravis three years ago
  • The 51-year-old revealed her condition ahead of this month’s US Open to raise awareness
  • Disease causes muscle weakness and has no known cure

Former world number one Monica Seles has revealed she was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a rare neuromuscular autoimmune disease, three years ago. The 51-year-old, who won nine Grand Slam singles titles, went public ahead of the US Open to raise awareness of the condition, which causes muscle weakness and can affect multiple parts of the body.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Seles first began noticing symptoms around five years ago when she experienced double vision and struggled with coordination. “I would be playing [tennis] with some kids or family members, and I would miss a ball. I was like, ‘Yeah, I see two balls,’” she told the Associated Press. These symptoms eventually led to her diagnosis, which took time for her to come to terms with.

Keep ReadingShow less