Fertility on BBC Radio 2 and 5 Live

BBC Radio 2 teamed up with BBC Radio 5 Live, and planned a week of social-action related programming to mark UK Fertility Week (27th October–3rd November).

The digital infertility community is a massive global phenomenon with over a million #ttc (trying to conceive) – which people describe as being a source of great support, and something that simply wasn’t available two years ago.

Radio 2 will be discussing the pertinent issues for men and women, with discussions across the week in the Jeremy Vine show, as well as features, and guests on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show and Good Morning Sunday sharing their experiences and will also have a series of eight 90-second packages featuring listener stories, which will be played out across the daytime schedule throughout the week.

On 5 Live, from Wake Up To Money to Up All Night on Tuesday 29th October, the network will bring listeners, celebrities and experts together to talk candidly about all aspects of fertility and creating families across the day, with a focus on positive solutions and support. Wake Up to Money will look at the cost of fertility – now a multimillion pound business. Breakfast will look at fertility in the workplace, including a new report from LinkedIn and Fertility Network UK highlighting the experience of thousands of people.

Emma Barnett will be looking at the particular issues of dealing with infertility in BAME communities and will link up with Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine to ask why fertility is such a difficult topic to talk about. Nihal will host a #maleinfertilitytakeover with Radio 2’s OJ Borg and a panel of men, including the director of new film The Easy Bit, which has just premiered at the Raindance film festival.

5 Live Drive will hear how popular DNA websites are leading to children tracking down their sperm donors, and they’ll hear from leading brains at the very cutting edge of how we create our families, including the head of the Government regulator the HFEA. And Sarah Brett will round up the evening with a special hour after midnight looking at what happens when IVF doesn’t work.