Single women seeking fertility treatment rises

Irish women are following the example of Hollywood stars such as Sandra Bullock and Charlize Theron in choosing single motherhood, as a leading fertility clinic recorded a sharp rise in single, female patients.

Madonna famously adopted her fourth child Mercy after her marriage split, while both Sheryl Crowe and Charlize Theron made the choice to become mothers without a male partner.

The number of single Irish women seeking treatment to help them have a baby at a leading fertility clinic, the Institut Marques clinic in Spain, has doubled since 2011, from 15 to 31 last year.