Most people support NHS fertility treatment and embryo research, new UK survey finds

A major European survey reveals support for fertility care and embryo research, while showing many people want more information.

A fertility procedure is shown on the screen while a woman in scrubs follows the process in the lab.

Getty/Tempura

Published: July 6, 2026 at 1:17 PM

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A new survey of almost 9,000 people across Europe suggests there is broad public support for state-funded fertility treatment and certain types of embryo research, while also highlighting that many people are still forming their views on newer reproductive technologies.

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The report surveyed 8,688 people aged 16 to 75 across the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy about various issues around assisted conception, the use of human embryos in research and clinical treatments, and genome editing. The report was commissioned by the charity Progress Educational Trust (PET), carried out by Ipsos, and launched during the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

The findings suggest many people support advances that could improve fertility care and help develop treatments for serious genetic conditions, although opinions become more divided on newer scientific developments such as genome editing.

Most people support state-funded fertility treatment and surrogacy - but not gender selection of embryos

Across all four countries surveyed, more than half of respondents said they supported state-funded fertility treatment for people experiencing infertility and hoping to have a baby.

In the UK, 57% of respondents said that fertility treatment should be offered on the NHS for people who are infertile and wish to conceive. Women were more in support, with 61% of women saying they agreed with this statement compared to 52% of men.

Similarly, 64% of respondents said that they thought surrogacy should be legally allowed in the UK - four times as many people as those who said that surrogacy should not be permitted.

Meanwhile, the majority (59%) of respondents in the UK said that people undergoing private, non-NHS fertility treatment should not be able to choose the biological sex of their child. However, a significant minority (26%) said that sex selection should be allowed, and men were more likely to have this opinion than women (31% of men vs. 21% of women).

Embryologist performing embryo cleaning under microscope in Petri plate after IVF next day in real laboratory

Getty/Natalia Lebedinskaia

Support for embryo research outweighs opposition, but many are unsure

The survey also explored attitudes towards research using human embryos to better understand congenital conditions and develop new treatments.

In every country included in the survey, support was higher than opposition, including Italy, where research involving human embryos is currently prohibited.

In the UK, 45% of respondents in the UK said that they supported the use of human embryos in scientific and medical research to help understand and develop treatments for congenital disease, compared to 21% who opposed it. There was a significant minority who said they didn't know, too, with 20% answering 'Neither support nor oppose' and 11% answering 'Don't know'.

In general, many respondents had not yet reached firm conclusions on some aspects of embryo research.

The 14-28 day period of human embryo development – sometimes referred to as the 'black box', because it is poorly understood and hidden from view – is when some of the most crucial events in our biology occur. This is why extending the time for which human embryos can be studied in the laboratory could yield a number of benefits.

Progress Educational Trust

Among people who either supported embryo research or neither supported nor opposed it, the most common opinion was that the current 14-day legal limit for embryo research is "about right". However, 27% said they did not know whether the limit was too long, too short or appropriate.

Of these people who supported embryo research, people were most likely to support the extension of the 14-day limit to 28 days if the research could help to find new treatments for congenital diseases.

The findings suggest that greater understanding of the potential medical benefits of embryo research could influence future public attitudes.

Views on genome editing depend on how it is used

The survey found that attitudes towards genome editing, which entails scientists altering the DNA of an embryo, varied depending on the reason why the genome editing would be taking place.

The strongest support was for using genome editing to eliminate severe or life-threatening conditions (like cystic fibrosis) in embryos intended for pregnancy. A majority of respondents in the UK (52%) supported this potential use, despite it not currently being permitted in any of the four countries included in the research.

A smaller proportion (39%) supported the use of genome editing to help eliminate a common, medically manageable condition, such as asthma, in the resulting child.

And 48% of UK respondents supported the the of genome editing in embryos that would never be used for pregnancy, only research.

Female embryologist demonstrates freezing straws with embryos and sperm in real IVF laboratory. Work processes and embryo preservation.

Getty/Natalia Lebedinskaia

Younger adults showed different views on some issues

The survey also identified differences between age groups on topics including sex selection, access to fertility treatment and embryo research.

According to the report, younger respondents across all four countries were more likely than older respondents to say sex selection should be permitted.

Younger respondents in the UK were also more likely than older respondents to say that the NHS should offer funded/paid for fertility treatment.

What the findings could mean for families

While the survey reflects attitudes rather than changes in policy, it suggests many people across Europe are open to fertility treatments and research that could improve care for people struggling to conceive or help prevent serious inherited conditions.

Professor Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Manchester, says that there is a "high degree of support for the state to pay for fertility treatment for people who are infertile and who wish to conceive."

There is a disconnect between public opinion and what those who hold the purse strings of the NHS are willing to provide.

Professor Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Manchester

He also highlights the disconnect between the UK respondents' support for surrogacy, with 64% saying that it should be legally permitted, and "our 'out of date' surrogacy laws in the UK, the overhaul of which are currently stuck in Parliament."

At the same time, the report highlights opportunities for better public engagement as scientific advances continue, particularly in areas where many people say they are still developing their views.

Professor Karen Sermon, Immediate Past Chair of ESHRE, said the findings show why it is important to understand public opinion as reproductive medicine continues to evolve.

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"Reproductive medicine and embryo research are advancing rapidly, and these findings show the importance of understanding how the public views those developments. It is particularly striking that support for some applications extends beyond what is currently permitted in certain countries," she says.

As science advances, it is essential that public awareness keeps pace, so that decisions about future treatments are informed by both evidence and societal values.

Professor Karen Sermon, Immediate Past Chair of ESHRE

Authors

MadeForMums

Serafina Kenny journalist headshot

Serafina KennyDigital Journalist

Serafina Kenny is a Digital Journalist at MadeForMums. She writes news and features and has expertise in health, nutrition, relationships, and history. She has previously written for Business Insider, Women's Health, Stylist, Men's Health US, The i Paper, Dazed, and more. You can contact her with tips and story ideas (or compliments!) at serafina.kenny@immediate.co.uk.

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