Fertility, family planning and the law: A guide for women athletes and sports professionals

This article provides guidance on the key aspects of family law that may impact fertility planning and modern family-building options, including egg freezing, fertility treatment, and surrogacy -all of which are increasingly relevant to athletes and sports professionals.

Introduction

Picture this, you are 24, you came fourth in the women's 800m at the 2024 Olympic Games. You and your coaches know you've got one more 'Games' in you, your sponsors are supporting you, you're landing brand deals and your professional life is going great. You put your personal life on hold for another four years. Now you are 28, the Games are a triumph and you win a medal, while you won't compete in the next Games, you have to make the most of the opportunities and commercial prospects before you retire. A few years pass, the window of your professional peak felt so small and it was never the right time to prioritise having a baby.

Or maybe you have finally been transferred to Arsenal W.F.C., you have worked towards this for years, playing in teams all over to rise to this level. You are 25, and you give it everything you have for four years. You put off having a family until you step down from the team, but then you are offered a media role and you need to make the most of that opportunity to keep saving for your retirement (especially because most female players will not earn enough in their professional years to be able to retire early compared to their male counterparts). Another few years pass and still it is never the right time.

Another scenario, you are a professional netball player, you are thinking about having a baby with your partner and you have some basic fertility testing done. Your doctor advises you that your AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) levels are very low and she recommends you start IVF (in vitro fertilisation) immediately. You are about to start the new season, and you are worried about how the fertility drugs will impact your performance if you go ahead.

Family planning and having a baby can be a wonderful time, but it can also be stressful. Timing is everything and it does not always go to plan. The sorts of dilemmas described affect women in all walks of life but they are especially acute for professional sportswomen whose careers are built around peak physical performance, gruelling training schedules, travel commitments and maximising a small window of opportunity. It is not easy to know when the right time is to start a family.

Some people choose to delay this next step in their personal lives until they have met their professional goals, others may find they face unexpected fertility struggles which they have to balance with their demanding professional lives.

This article provides guidance on the key aspects of family law that may impact fertility planning and modern family-building options, including egg freezing, fertility treatment, and surrogacy -all of which are increasingly relevant to athletes and sports professionals.

It looks at:

• Egg Freezing: Preserving Fertility for the Future
• Legal Updates on Storage Limits
• Consent Forms & Planning Ahead
• Eggs vs Embryos: What’s the Best Option?
• Fertility Treatment: What to Know as a Single Woman or Couple
  • Single Women
  • Couples
• Surrogacy: A Pathway for Women Who Cannot Carry
• Legal Parentage & Parental Orders
• Reform on the Horizon?