Viewers of ‘Lorraine’ reacted with anger to a guest on the show who claimed that women should not be able to get IVF on the NHS.
Sirena Bergman, a journalist from London, was on the show to discuss the recent news that there has been an NHS IVF cut back in 13 areas of England.
Bergman wrote for the Independent on this topic, explaining: “Instead of making adoption and fostering accessible (and more financially viable for most people), we’re pushing women towards IVF, a treatment which costs thousands of pounds and has a relatively small success rate.”
Speaking on ‘Lorraine’ on Wednesday 9 August, Bergman said: “I think what we need to remember the social perception of women and the idea for a woman to live a fulfilled life she must give birth to a child.
“There are other options available.”
Bergman didn’t answer whether or not she had kids, explaining it wasn’t relevant to the argument, but continued: “We need to reframe the idea that a man and woman should be married and one of them should give birth to a baby. That’s not the reality we live in and it’s problematic.”
She said IVF, which costs up to £5,000 per cycle, is not cost-effective.
Many people strongly disagreed and they aired their anger on Twitter.
Bergman was on the show alongside a doctor, Virginia Bolton, who argued that the fertility treatment is cost-effective.
Dr Bolton said: “Three cycles of IVF gives people the best chance of success. It is the recommendation made by a body of experts, who know the field.
“It is a cost-effective form of therapy. If that’s the only thing that can help them and only thing that will help them achieve what they yearn so much for, this should be given to them.”
‘Lorraine’ is on ITV on weekdays from 8.30am.