Victoria’s world class Public Fertility Care Service provides access to comprehensive fertility treatment including genetic counselling, fertility preservation, and fertility assessment and treatment.
Eligibility criteria
Victoria's Public Fertility Care Service is available to singles and couples and people of all genders whose situation or health may prevent or impair fertility or safe conception and/or who have been trying to conceive naturally but have been unsuccessful.
To be eligible for the service, patients will need to:
- be a Victorian resident who holds a Medicare card
- have a referral from a GP or specialist which includes all necessary test and investigation results
- meet age criteria as follows:
If aged under 35 years:
If aged between 35-42 years (inclusive):
The patient needs to have been trying to conceive for more than a year.
The patient needs to have been trying to conceive for at least six months.
The patient needs to be using an egg (their own or from a donor) that is 42 years or younger at time of treatment.
About Victoria's Public Fertility Care Service
The Public Fertility Care Service is led by the Women’s and Monash Health. The Women’s and its partner fertility services (listed below), cares for people living in our catchment areas as well as the western, northern, and northeastern parts of Victoria. The Women's catchment areas include the City of Melbourne, Yarra City Council, Mooney Valley City Council, and Maribyrnong City Council.
Monash Health Fertility cares for people living in eastern Melbourne and in Gippsland areas.
The Women's and its partner fertility services
Public fertility care is provided at the Women’s in Parkville, as well as through our partner fertility services at Barwon Health, Bendigo Health, Goulburn Valley Health, Grampians Health, Mercy Health, Mildura Base Public Hospital, Northern Health, Southwest Health, and Western Health.
It depends on where you live.
If you live in regional or rural Victoria or any part of Melbourne except the south-east metropolitan or Gippsland areas, your GP or specialist must refer you to the Women’s.
If you live in the south-east metro or Gippsland areas, your GP or specialist should refer you to Monash Health Fertility.
Local health services partnering with the Women's
The Women’s is partnering with health services across Victoria so your care can be provided closer to your home.
Your GP or specialist must still make your referral to the Women’s. Your referral will be triaged by the Women's and we will contact you to let you know whether it is accepted.
If your care is to be provided by one of our partner health services, you will be advised of that service's name in your letter from the Women's. That partner health service will then contact you to arrange your first appointment. You will attend all your appointments at that service and then come to the Women's only for your procedure/s.
Our current health service partners are:
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Barwon Health, Geelong
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Bendigo Health |
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Goulburn Valley Health, Shepparton
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Grampians Health, Ballarat
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Mercy Health, Heidelberg |
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Mildura Base Public Hospital |
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Northern Health, Epping |
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Southwest Healthcare, Warrnambool
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Western Health, Sunshine Hospital |
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If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will need to see your GP or specialist for a referral to the Women’s.
Your GP or specialist must ensure all relevant tests and investigations (see table below) are completed before making your referral.
There may be some out-of-pocket expenses for investigations. To ensure we can review your referral as quickly as possible, your referral must include the results of these tests before it is provided to us.
Your GP or specialist should use this Reproductive Services Referral Form. The completed referral - including copies of your test results - can be faxed to the Women's at (03) 8345 3036.
Your referral will be valid for 12 months.
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Required tests your GP or specialist needs to order and send with your referral |
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Primary patient investigations
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Partner tests (if you are accessing our service with a partner):
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Your referral will be triaged by clinical staff at the Women’s. You will receive a letter from the Women's, outlining if your referral has been accepted.
You will then be contacted with a date and time for your first appointment.
If your care is to be provided by one of our partner fertility services, you will be advised of that service's name in your acceptance letter and that service will contact you to arrange your first appointment. You will attend all your appointments at that service and then come to the Women's only for your procedure/s.
Your first appointment will be scheduled as soon as possible. Once you are enrolled with the service, you will be starting your fertility treatment journey.
Your first appointment
At your first appointment, you will be asked questions about your fertility history. Further tests may be ordered to assess your fertility.
A health assessment will also be performed, to ensure you are in the best possible condition to safely have a baby.
If you are coming to our service with a partner, they may also be asked about their fertility history. Further tests may be ordered to assess their fertility.
After this first appointment, staff will liaise with you to book further appointments.
What do I need to bring to my first appointment?
- A letter from the health service confirming your appointment
- Your Medicare card, Health Care Card and/or Pension Card*
- Details of any current medications*
- Photo identification (Australian Driver Licence or Passport)*
- Supporting documentation if you are an asylum seeker*.
*If you are using our service with a partner, your partner should also bring these documents to your first appointment.
After your first appointment
Your public fertility service will work with you to decide which treatment is appropriate.
Treatments may include:
- assisting your ovulation, with a focus on timings, known as ovulation induction
- a lifestyle assessment and weight management strategy to reduce the impact of excess weight on fertility
- artificial insemination or IVF. If artificial insemination or IVF is recommended, a counselling session will be organised for you before this treatment begins.
Are there any costs associated with the service?
While the public fertility care service is free, there may be some out-of-pocket costs incurred outside of the service for medications, tests, and investigations conducted by a pathology and/or diagnostic service.
What should I expect after my referral is sent to the Women’s?
Your referral will be triaged by clinical staff at the Women’s, and you will receive a letter outlining if it has been accepted.
You will then be contacted with a date and time for your first appointment.
If your care is to be provided by one of our partner fertility services, you will be advised of that service's name in your acceptance letter and that service will contact you to arrange your first appointment. You will attend all your appointments at that service, or via telehealth, and then come to the Women's only for your procedure/s.
What should I expect at my first appointment?
At your first appointment, you will be asked questions about your fertility history. Further tests may be ordered to assess your fertility.
A health assessment will also be performed, to ensure you are in the best possible condition to safely have a baby.
If you are coming to our service with a partner, they may also be asked about their fertility history. Further tests may be ordered to assess their fertility.
After this first appointment, staff will liaise with you to book further appointments.
What do I need to bring to my first appointment?
- A letter from the health service confirming your appointment
- Your Medicare card, Health Care Card and/or Pension Card*
- Details of any current medications*
- Photo identification (Australian Driver Licence or Passport)*
- Supporting documentation if you are an asylum seeker*.
*If you are using our service with a partner, your partner should also bring these documents to your first appointment.
After your first appointment
Your public fertility care service will work with you to decide which treatment is appropriate.
Treatments may include:
- assisting your ovulation, with a focus on timings, known as ovulation induction
- a lifestyle assessment and weight management strategy to reduce the impact of excess weight on fertility
- artificial insemination or IVF. If artificial insemination or IVF is recommended, a counselling session will be organised for you before this treatment begins.
Does the public fertility care service provide testing of embryos to see if they carry a genetic condition?
Not yet. In 2024 we hope to be able to provide Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT).
Please find below some background information on PGT testing:
PGT testing is a technique used in IVF to help reduce the risk of passing on known genetic conditions.
This process occurs after the embryos have grown in the laboratory for about 5-6 days. A few cells are extracted from each embryo and tested. If the testing shows an embryo does not contain the genetic condition, the embryo can then be transferred into a patient’s uterus to attempt a successful pregnancy.
However, PGT cannot guarantee the birth of a healthy baby. Therefore, people who become pregnant are advised to have prenatal testing (e.g. DNA testing or chorionic villus sampling) to confirm PGT results.
To find out more about PGT, visit the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority.
If I can’t access the service at the Women’s, can I access the service at Monash Health?
Monash Health and the Women’s have the same eligibility criteria. Monash Health might be more suitable for people living in the south-east of Melbourne.
I can’t attend my appointment, what should I do?
If you need to change the time of your appointment, let the health service know as soon as possible. This will give us the opportunity to offer your appointment time to another person in need.
If your appointment is at the Women's (Parkville), email or call us (03) 8345 3200.
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Australia’s first public egg and sperm bank is now open for donations at the Women’s. To find out how to donate, visit the egg and sperm bank webpage. |