Making, starting or building a family is becoming fairer for all Victorians!

15 September 2021

When talking about assisted reproductive therapy (ART) we are usually referring to IVF (in vitro fertilisation) and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). There are many reasons couples, families or individuals may seek out assisted reproductive therapy, some of which include individuals with fertility challenges, same sex couples and single or unattached individuals. Assisted reproductive therapy is accessed by thousands of Victorians every year with more than 3000 babies being born with the help of ART last year alone.

A 2019 a report known as the GORTON review made a number of recommendations to improve the quality, safety and experience of people seeking ART. Their findings outlined barriers to access such as high costs, unclear success rates, misleading information, limited psychosocial support for patients, and intrusive legal requirements on patients. Of particular note was the existing discriminatory barriers to access for the LGBTIQA+ community.

This week the Minister for Health, Martin Foley, announced several important changes to ART laws in Victoria in response the Gorton review. The changes have been introduced to ensure more Victorians have better access to safer, higher-quality ART treatment, free from discrimination.

A number of changes already in effect include removing barriers for separated women to access services, reforming how surrogate mothers are reimbursed and removing the requirement to undergo police checks before accessing treatment. The new laws are designed to make artificial insemination more accessible, reduce barriers for people wanting to have a family, and improve access to donated eggs, sperm and embryos.

As a provider of gender affirmative health care we welcome this development as it will increases equity and access to creating a family for all Victorians.

Our trans and gender diverse community health services include: