Here we aim to answer common questions about undertaking fertility treatment in Australia.

Is there a cut off age for fertility treatment?

It is IVFAustralia’s approach to treat women up to 51 years of age, the natural age of menopause. For women aged 44 and over it is very difficult to achieve a pregnancy using her own eggs, and we do not normally recommend women begin IVF at this age.  However, every woman is different and we support an individualistic approach. Your fertility specialist will discuss your individual chance of success in detail.

How many treatment cycles are covered by Medicare?

There are currently no limits on the number of Medicare-funded treatment cycles a couple can undertake.

Am I eligible for the Medicare rebate?

To be eligible for Medicare funded fertility treatment you must hold a current Medicare card, and be deemed to be medically infertile. 

How many attempts at IVF will it take me to conceive?

As everybody is different, there is no one definitive answer. Some couples will conceive on their first attempt at IVF, while others will only conceive after many attempts. There are some couples that, unfortunately, may never have a successful pregnancy.  Read about IVFAustralia's success rates.

We have two boys already, however we would really like a little girl.  If we have IVF, can we choose the sex of the baby?

The National Health Ethics Committee guidelines only allow sex seletction where there is a medical need and do not allow sex selection for family balancing purposes.

How many embryos should I have transferred?

IVFAustralia's policy, consistent with professional guidelines, is to normally recommend transfer of a single embryo at a time to ensrue a safe outcome for mother and baby.  At leading fertility clinics such as IVFAustralia, high pregnancy rates can be achieved with transfer of only a single embryo.  Transferring two rather than one does not significantly increase your chance of pregnancy, it only increases the risk of twins.  While most twin pregnancies end happily, there is nonetheless an increase in serious risks such as premature birth, when the pregnancy is twins or above.  At IVFAustralia we will never transfer any more than two embryos at a time.

For further information, please call our Public Liaison Co-ordinator on 1800 111 483.