Increased support for couples trying to become pregnant has been taken by the Department of Health which has launched a new website: YourIVFSuccess.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said In Vitro Fertilisation, or IVF — and other assisted reproductive technologies — had helped hundreds of thousands of Australians experience the joy of becoming parents.
“Until now, there has not been an easy way for consumers to find and compare fertility clinics or to estimate their individual chance of success,” Mr Hunt said.
“For a range of reasons, sometimes starting a family is not straightforward and this can be a confusing and distressing time.”
He said the YourIVFSuccess website would help people estimate their chances of success through this treatment so they could make the decisions which were right for them.”
“It allows people to access information based on real world statistical information collected from patients who have undergone IVF treatment,” Mr Hunt said.
“The website also includes an IVF Success Estimator so those thinking about starting or continuing IVF can make informed decisions.”
He said that in addition, the new website would provide independent and impartial information about all fertility clinics in Australia, including the clinics’ success rates.”
Senator for South Australia, Stirling Griff, whose advocacy prompted the website’s development, said it filled a gap in the information people needed if they chose to start a family through IVF or continued with assisted reproductive treatment.
“The website means infertile Australians will no longer be flying blind when they choose a clinic; they can use it to research and view the performance of each fertility clinic, to understand their own prospects of success, and to make an informed choice,” Senator Griff said.
The new website which was developed with a grant to the University of NSW from the Department’s Medical Research Future Fund, can be accessed at this PS News link.
