Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA)

21/12/2023

~ Male infertility is more common that you think ~

In Australia, one in three IVF cycles involve male infertility.

Research shows that s***m counts are declining worldwide, and that lifestyle and environmental factors can reduce male fertility.

Most male causes of infertility are not preventable, but it’s important to know how to keep your s***m as healthy as possible. Read Dr Karin Hammarberg's list of five things men can do to boost their fertility:

With s***m counts declining world wide, it’s important to know how to keep your s***m as healthy as possible.

23/11/2023

It’s hard to find a surrogate in Australia. But, heading overseas comes with risks.

Children born through international surrogacy aren’t protected by Australian laws because they’re born overseas. New research, published in The Conversation, shows this can increase the physical and psychological risks to the child.

Making surrogacy easier to access in Australia could protect future children born through surrogacy.

The paper's authors, who include VARTA's Dr Karin Hammarberg, argue that to make surrogacy more accessible, surrogacy laws should be reviewed.

Read more https://loom.ly/3lqUHC8

19/10/2023

Deciding to have a child with the help of donor s***m, eggs or embryos involves lots of decisions. The choices you make can have lifelong consequences for you, your child and the donor. VARTA recommends seeking advice from a fertility specialist and clinic counsellor to explore the health, legal and social issues involved.

If you are considering donor conception, VARTA recommends following these steps:

- Speak to your GP or fertility specialist about a fertility assessment and donor conception options.
- Find a donor. You can read more about finding a donor on VARTA's website.
- Discuss all of the issues involved for you and your partner (if you have one) with a counsellor.
- Complete the required consent forms with your counsellor. This will cover details such as withdrawal of consent and what happens in the event of death. You and your partner (if any) will need to be involved in this.
- Undertake fertility treatment at a fertility clinic.

Read more: https://www.varta.org.au/understanding-donor-conception/considering-donor-conception

11/10/2023

New research shows that embryos with a mix of normal and abnormal cells - called mosaic embryos- can develop into healthy babies.

Many early-stage embryos are mosaic, meaning they have both normal and abnormal cells. If the cells that happen to be selected for PGT-A testing are abnormal, it might be presumed that the whole embryo is abnormal and should be discarded. But new research shows that some mosaic embryos can self-correct and develop to a healthy baby.

Read more about the research on VARTA's website: https://loom.ly/fSYPVto

28/09/2023

Being a donor is a generous act which could make the difference between somebody having a child or not.

The decision to donate has significant, lifelong implications for the donor, the recipient parent(s) and the child. There's a lot to consider if you are thinking about becoming a donor, including:

- Your motivations and reasons for donating
- Expectations for future contact with recipient parents and donor children
- Your legal rights and responsibilities
- Emotional and practical implications of donating
- The physical process of donation.

To find out more about becoming an egg, s***m, or embryo donor, visit VARTA's website https://loom.ly/htSIYig

21/09/2023

Donor conception is the process of having a baby using donated s***m, eggs or embryos through self-insemination or fertility treatment such as IVF. Sometimes it involves surrogacy, too.

Donors, recipients and donor-conceived people all have legal rights and responsibilities under Victorian legislation.

For example:

- Donors are limited to donating to 10 women, including the donor's partner or former partner

- The treating fertility clinic is required to keep specific information about those linked through donor conception, and must report all births involving donor procedures to VARTA

- Anonymous donation is not possible in Victoria

VARTA's website features information, resources and support about donor conception in Victoria.

Read more: https://www.varta.org.au/understanding-donor-conception

14/09/2023

Retrospective Donor Conception Law Reform in Victoria | Panel Discussion

How did Victoria arrive here?

La Trobe University Law School invites you to a panel discussion on the legal, political, and social aspects of Victoria’s world-first law reforms that retrospectively removed anonymity from s***m and egg donors.

Retrospective amendment of the law is unusual, but in 2016 in Victoria it happened. Join the panel members in exploring how these law changes came about in Victoria, and the likelihood of other jurisdictions adopting a retrospective model of donor linking.

https://loom.ly/YWtuLoM

24/08/2023

-Becoming a solo mum by choice-

VARTA senior research officer Dr Karin Hammarberg spoke to Yumi Stynes about things to think about if you're considering using donor s***m to become a solo parent.

"Waiting for the right person can be something that is just not possible if you have that burning desire to become a mother. Some women prefer to take it in their own hands and actually go ahead and do it on their own."

Listen to the full interview: https://loom.ly/RGpcxXU

18/08/2023

Considering freezing your eggs? Get the facts first.

Women's Health in the South East (WHISE) and VARTA are hosting a free webinar so you can better understand the costs, success rates, and physical and emotional demands associated with freezing your eggs.

Featuring a panel of experts, this webinar will increase your confidence to make an informed decision about whether egg freezing is the right choice for you.

Find out more and reserve your spot now: https://loom.ly/VSz1p3o

06/08/2023

Australian fertility rates have been declining since they boomed in the 1950’s.

Recent ABS data shows a fertility rate of 1.58 babies per woman.

The data also show that more people are choosing to have their babies closer to age 40.

About one in six Australian couples experience infertility. Assisted reproductive treatments are critical to assisting people and couples to have, or complete, their family.

Read more about fertility in Australia in VARTA's 2022 annual report: https://loom.ly/BLQzdxE

01/08/2023

In 2016, all donor-conceived people earned the right to find out their genetic heritage.

Victoria’s Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) Act changed, enabling all donor-conceived people to access their donor’s identity when they turned 18.

This change reflected a growing awareness that donor-conceived people have the same rights to their medical and family history as any other Australian.

This legal change in Victoria was a world-first, with other countries and Australian states following to make changes to laws around accessing donor information.

Read more about the history of donor conception https://loom.ly/EV0enTc

21/07/2023

In 1984, Victoria established itself as a world leader in assisted reproductive treatment, practice and legislation.

The state was the first jurisdiction in the world to comprehensively legislate assisted reproductive treatment.

Legislation was an important step in ensuring assisted reproductive treatment was carried out ethically and legally.

At first, the only people who could access assisted reproductive treatment were married heterosexual couples. Straight de-facto couples gained access in 1996, and an amendment to the Act in 2008 opened treatment to single people and same-sex couples.

Read more about the history of donor conception: https://loom.ly/EV0enTc

15/07/2023

Finding a fertility clinic in Victoria

Fertility treatment can be physically, emotionally and financially demanding, so it's important to find a clinic and doctor that’s right for you.

There are many types of clinics that operate in different ways. Clinics providing fertility treatment in Victoria must be registered under the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008, and clinics also have to apply to VARTA to become a registered provider. They also need to be accredited by the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC) of the Fertility Society of Australia (FSA).

To read more about starting fertility treatment and to find a list of accredited clinics in Victoria, visit: https://loom.ly/lcmb2ZU

14/07/2023

VARTA is honoured to be the recipient of The Best Fertility Service award 2023, presented by the European Fertility Society. This award recognises exceptional patient care and outstanding contributions to reproductive health and was awarded to the Your Fertility program.

Dr Karin Hammarberg, VARTA’s Senior Research Officer, accepted the prestigious award on behalf of the Your Fertility team.

Here are some words from the judges: "We extend our warmest congratulations to VARTA for their exceptional efforts in providing top-notch and groundbreaking public health education. Your commitment to patient service and reproductive health is truly commendable!”

07/07/2023

Getting started on your fertility treatment journey:

There are a lot of things to consider when you decide to explore fertility treatment. Some of these include:

- Emotional effects of fertility treatments- including when treatment doesn't go according to plan, strains on your relationships and considering what to do with unused embryos.

- Physical effects and potential complications- including changes to your mood and body.

- Managing employment- Treatment can impact on your work as you will need time off for appointments and medical procedures.

Fertility treatment is demanding, whether you are doing it alone or with a partner. For more practical tips and information from VARTA about things to consider at the start of your fertility journey, visit: https://loom.ly/RjomfQ4

27/06/2023

Have you heard of our Healthy Conception Tool? It's had an upgrade! Healthy You, Healthy Baby helps you get baby-ready, check it out now: https://www.yourfertility.org.au/general-resources/interactive-tools/healthy-you-healthy-baby

25/06/2023

Plastics may contain chemicals that affect s***m and egg quality. Learn how to avoid these chemicals and increase your chance of becoming pregnant and having a healthy baby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYsXBEUNr6k

23/06/2023

Researchers at Monash University are conducting a study about experiences with fertility care and assisted reproductive treatment. Find out more here: https://monash.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e9bye0yfzOOSPZQ