Department of Health

Public Fertility Care turns two

30/10/24
Public Fertility Care logo

Two years on from the launch

This month Public Fertility Care is celebrating two years of making fertility services more affordable and accessible for Victorians wanting to start or grow their family. Public Fertility Care was established in October 2022 and provides a range of services – including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) for free. Since its launch, Public Fertility Care has been accessed by more than 4,000 Victorians and over 50 babies have been born.

Caring for those who need it most

Public Fertility Care is a government-funded fertility service available to all eligible Victorians, but the service has a particular focus on helping people with limited access to the private fertility sector. This includes lower-income earners, rural and regional Victorians, people who need donor services such as LGBTIQA+ and single people, people who need fertility preservation for medical reasons, and people needing testing for specific genetic conditions.

Delivering fertility care across Victoria

Public Fertility Care is led by the Royal Women's Hospital, who work with partner sites across the state, providing a range of services closer to home for more Victorians. Partner sites enable patients to access consultations with a fertility specialist, diagnostics tests, ultrasounds, and medications closer to home, reducing the need for travel. Patients can access Public Fertility Care via a referral from their GP or specialist which is sent to the Royal Women's Hospital. The Women's then organise eligible patients to receive fertility treatment at their nearest partner site. In the past two years over 600 patients have accessed the service through partner sites.

Launch of the egg and sperm bank

The service is supported by Australia's first public egg and sperm bank, which opened in July last year and is located at the Royal Women's Hospital. The bank provides critical access to donated eggs and sperm for Victorians who need support to start or grow their families. Interest from potential donors in the Victorian community has been strong, with more than 650 people expressing interest since the bank's launch.

Visit Public Fertility CareExternal Link on Better Health Channel to find out more.

Reviewed 31 October 2024

Health.vic

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