Finding love, Using donor eggs, VAWG in Northern Ireland
Woman's Hour
BBC
4.1 • 3K Ratings
🗓️ 7 July 2026
⏱️ 58 minutes
🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
New research into IVF and donor eggs suggests that older women face a lower chance of fertility treatment working, even when using young donor eggs - with a marked drop-off from around the age of 49. Experts studying more than 1700 women say the findings challenge the idea that donor eggs can fully "reset" the reproductive clock - BUT that they should not put older couples off trying. Researchers believe age-related changes in the womb lining may be the cause. Nuala McGovern is joined by Dr Ippokratis Sarris, who is chair elect of the British Fertility Society, and writer Grace Ackroyd who had a baby at 47 using donor eggs.
Have you ever found love in an unexpected place? At a gig? A restaurant?... What about a library? Four couples have found love in the stacks of Anlaby Park Community Library, in Hull. Nuala is joined by one of them, Mandy and Adrian Strickland, who share their story.
What do we know about domestic violence in post-conflict societies, and how important is this knowledge for tackling violence against women in Northern Ireland? Do we see the history of conflict in Northern Ireland reflected in patterns of abuse and violence that women face today? Our guests share their views. Monica McWilliams is a long-standing peace activist and Emeritus Professor at the Transitional Justice Institute Ulster University and Aisling Swaine is Professor of Peace, Security and International Law in Uni College Dublin.
Trish Patterson, a 41-year-old mother of twins, has just set a new world record for the National Three Peaks challenge, running 425 miles over five days. We talk to her about her extraordinary feat and what motivates her to keep going.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:06.0 | Did you know, but now you can watch some of your favourite BBC Sounds podcasts on IPlayer. |
| 0:12.4 | Check out the mystery items for yourself in Saw Your Life Out unpacked. |
| 0:16.7 | I wasn't expecting this. |
| 0:18.1 | See trending interviews from Fame Under Fire. |
| 0:21.1 | What are we telling everybody to do? |
| 0:22.4 | Watch this. |
| 0:23.1 | And watch Wayne Rooney and his guests on the Wayne Rooney show. |
| 0:27.0 | What did he make you do, wine? |
| 0:28.1 | You can't make me do anything. |
| 0:30.3 | Your BBC Sounds favourites. |
| 0:32.5 | Available as video podcasts to watch on EyePlayer, listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:38.4 | Hello, this is Neula McGovern and you're listening to The Woman's Hour podcast. |
| 0:43.3 | It is indeed. Hello and welcome to the programme. |
| 0:46.4 | Older women face a lower chance of fertility treatment working, even when using young donor eggs, |
| 0:52.9 | with a marked drop-off from around the age of 49, |
| 0:56.9 | according to new research. |
| 0:58.8 | We're going to hear about the findings. |
| 1:01.1 | Also today, Northern Ireland has been called the most dangerous place in the UK to be a woman. |
| 1:06.7 | That was according to their Secretary of State, Hillary Ben. |
| 1:09.7 | Well, today we're going to look at how the legacy of its violent past is affecting women today. |
| 1:15.0 | And we'll meet the new record holder as the woman running at Three Peaks Challenge. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 8 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

