Little Johnny is one of 43 babies born so far in Victoria as part of Australia’s first publicly funded IVF program. Public Fertility Care has helped hundreds of families to fall pregnant after the first year in operation.
For Suong and Daniel, starting a family has not been as easy as they initially had hoped.
Suong is a student nurse who lives with stage 4 endometriosis, the most severe form of the condition.
When she and Daniel started trying for a baby, they were given little hope to conceive naturally. That is because endometriosis can damage the ovaries’ function.
For Suong and Daniel, Public Fertility Care was launched at the ideal time. When they heard of the service, they immediately made an appointment at the Women’s after getting a doctor’s referral.
“After two egg collections, we were able to have four viable embryos,” Suong remembers.
“I fell pregnant with Johnny after the first embryo transfer, which we didn’t expect. It’s a miracle, really.”
Public Fertility Care was officially launched in October 2022 by the former Premier, Daniel Andrews.
The Women’s leads this service, funded by the Victorian Government. Together with 10 partner health services across Victoria, care can be provided closer to home. Public Fertility Care makes it easier and fairer for Victorians to try for a family.
Co-Medical Director of Public Fertility Care, Dr Rashi Kalra, is pleased with the program’s results after one year of operation.
“We've had 43 babies born from the service and 227 women who are currently pregnant and hoping to deliver soon,” says Dr Kalra.
“To access the publicly funded service, patients need to live in Victoria and hold a Medicare Card. If women wish to use their own eggs, the age cut off is at age 42 at the start of the treatment. Women wishing to use donor eggs have a little more time.”
An addition to Public Fertility Care is Australia’s first public egg and sperm bank, which is also based at the Women’s.
The egg and sperm bank is led by Co-Medical Director of Public Fertility Care, Associate Professor Wan Tinn Teh.
“The interest from potential donors to the bank has been encouraging and many people are currently undergoing screening processes,” says A/Prof Teh.
“We are very close to offering donated gametes to Victorians requiring this support to build their families.”
Donations to the bank are an entirely altruistic act – one of the most generous gifts to help others fulfil their dream of having a family.
The first step in accessing Public Fertility Care is to visit your GP. Once a referral is accepted individuals and families can access a full range of integrated public fertility services at no, or very minimal cost (for tests), including:
- Fertility assessment and management, including consultations, fertility investigations, ovulation monitoring/tracking and ovulation induction
- Assisted reproductive treatments, as well as counselling, information and support
- Medical fertility preservation so people with cancer or other health issues can have their tissue stored and retrieved for future use.
Learn more about Public Fertility Care and the egg and sperm bank.