A man who survived testicular cancer says he is being penalised by the health service for beating the disease after he and his fiancée were denied IVF treatment because of his body mass index.
From Cancer Battle to IVF Heartbreak
Ben Smith, a 29-year-old from Barham in Suffolk, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2020. Before undergoing surgery to remove a testicle and gruelling chemotherapy, which he was told would leave him infertile, he wisely preserved his sperm. After a tough fight, Ben overcame the disease and looked forward to building a family with his partner, Beth Harman, 27.
However, their hopes were dashed when their application for NHS-funded IVF was rejected. The couple met all the necessary criteria except one: Ben's BMI, which was recorded as 34. The NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, which commissions fertility services in the area, requires a BMI under 30 to proceed. Ben, a former physical training instructor with a muscular, rugby player's build, has been told he must lower his number.
'An Arbitrary Number' Blocking a Family
The decision has left the couple devastated and feeling that the system is unjust. "I've battled cancer and now I'm battling the NHS for the right to have IVF just because of an arbitrary number," Ben told the Daily Mail. He added, "If I'd unfortunately lost my battle with cancer, Beth would have been having IVF anyway. I'm being punished for surviving."
Beth, who works for a local authority, described the moment they received the news. "I had a lump in my throat throughout [the meeting] and I thought I was going to cry," she said. She strongly defended her fiancé's physique, stating, "I wouldn't look at Ben and say he was fat at all. He's got a rugby player's physique with muscly arms and legs. He can't lose that — it's his natural body. He'd have to lose two stone of muscle mass, which can't be done."
Appeals and a Growing Public Campaign
The couple, who are due to marry in September, are not giving up. They have lodged a formal complaint with the Patient Advice and Liaison Service and appealed the decision to the local NHS board. They are yet to receive a response. In the meantime, they have started a petition which has already garnered more than 22,000 signatures, demonstrating significant public support for their case.
Beth emphasised their frustration with the policy's logic: "We eat well and we don't drink or smoke. We don't want preferential treatment – we know we're not the only people waiting for IVF. But it creates an outcome where survival is being penalised. To us, it seems impossible to justify ethically or logically."
An NHS spokesman said: "The current eligibility criteria are already under review to ensure that they are in line with best practice and to ensure a consistent approach across the East of England region. We anticipate they will be updated very soon." The statement added that anyone declined funding can appeal, and any appeal will be carefully considered by a panel of health professionals.
