Women in Great Britain who are over 40 years old may soon be eligible to receive three cycles of IVF treatments under the country’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) rules.

Currently, women must be under 40 years of age to receive national healthcare funding for up to three cycles of IVF treatment.  However, many couples feel this practice is basically age discrimination and should be banned.  They also feel it’s unfair for women and their partners to be forced to travel abroad to receive fertility treatments.

On the opposite side of the argument, opponents feel that age 40 is a good cutoff point, as it’s typically seen as a time when IVF becomes much less effective for most females.

In addition to the over-40 IVF debate, those in Great Britain are reviewing motions to make the country’s health policies related to IVF treatments fair for lesbian and heterosexual couples as well as those who already have children.

Changes to the laws aren’t actually anticipated until 2012.  However, many fertility specialists in the UK feel this is a good first step for the country’s population.