Record number of lesbian couples have children through fertility treatment
Official figures have shown that a record number of lesbian couples have conceived children through fertility treatment.
The figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), show that the number of female same-sex families rose dramatically in 2012.
Incidentally, reforms in the same year allowed gay couples to access fertility treatment on the NHS.
Women in lesbian relationships in 2012 completed 766 cycles of IVF treatment, which is 36% more than in 2011.
Twenty percent more took up artificial insemination compared with 2011, with 1,271 cycles recorded by the HFEA.
Many have also linked the introduction of civil partnerships back in 2005 to social changes of attitude leading up to these figures.
