00:00A new study suggests fertility is often shaped not by choice but by barriers, with many delaying
00:06parenthood because of career pressures, finances or health challenges. More than half of those
00:11surveyed said they needed medical intervention during their fertility journey. There's a
00:16combination of barriers when trying to grow your family. For Toby and Katie, despite being healthy,
00:21it took them more than six years to conceive. I'm in Dover to meet with them and discuss their story.
00:34For Toby and his wife Katie from the Dover area, their journey costed more than £12,000 and included
00:41two failed rounds of IVF and the heartbreak of miscarriage. It was a complete turmoil, I think
00:49was the best way I can describe it. Six years of trying for a family was brutal. Every month you
00:55build up hope to only have then the disappointment. So we were offered the two NHS funded rounds,
01:01hopeful that it would work and obviously sadly those two rounds failed and it was a really,
01:06really sad time. And I think it was at that point that I fell into my depression and that became
01:12my
01:12kind of lowest ebb really. I was trying to stay strong for my wife for that whole time. By this
01:17point we're about five years into our treatment. Despite being fit and healthy and initially being
01:22told through NHS sperm testing that everything was normal, Toby pushed for further investigations.
01:29Those tests revealed DNA fragmentation and a varicocele, both affecting his sperm quality.
01:35After an operation to correct the issue, they did manage to conceive naturally,
01:39but Toby is calling for more comprehensive male fertility testing to be made available on the NHS,
01:45so others can access answers sooner and avoid the frustration, heartbreak and grief he and his wife,
01:52Katie, went through. Maisie Walker for KMTV, Deal.
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