Frequently Asked Questions

I got pregnant very easily the first time, and now I am having trouble getting pregnant again. Has something gone wrong since my first baby?

I am having periods reasonably regularly. Does this mean I must be ovulating?

I have PCOS and have been told that I can’t have children. Is this true?

Can endometriosis affect fertility?

I have a fibroid in my uterus. Could this be affecting my fertility?

I have been trying to get pregnant for a long time. Should I try Artificial Insemination before I try IVF?

I have heard that IVF is very expensive. Is this true?

Is there a long waiting list for IVF?

Is it true that Victorian laws have changed which will enable single women and women in same-sex relationships to have artificial reproductive technologies?

I do not have private health insurance. Does this mean that I cannot do IVF?

What is a Blastocyst?

I got pregnant very easily the first time, and now I am having trouble getting pregnant again. Has something gone wrong since my first baby?
No, it does not necessarily mean this at all. A more likely explanation is that you were just lucky to conceive so quickly the first time. Remember, you have a certain percentage chance of conception in each cycle. If your fertility is naturally reduced then your chance of conception per cycle is going to be lower than someone who is more fertile.

I am having periods reasonably regularly. Does this mean I must be ovulating?
No, it does not necessarily mean that at all. Many women are taught that the menstrual period occurs when the egg has been released but not fertilized. This is simply not true. You can most certainly have periods, and relatively regular periods at that, and not be ovulating at all.

I have PCOS and have been told that I can’t have children. Is this true?
Of course not! It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a fertility problem at all. A proportion of women with PCOS do not ovulate regularly, however. Without ovulation, you cannot get pregnant. This is generally an easy problem to treat.

Can endometriosis affect fertility?
It certainly can, especially if it is more severe. Any woman with endometriosis must make sure that her endometriosis is well controlled. She must be conscious of “fertility preservation”, even if she has no plans to try and conceive at the time.

I have a fibroid in my uterus. Could this be affecting my fertility?
Yes it could, but many fibroids have no affect on fertility. It depends on the number of fibroids present, how big they are, and in what part of the uterus the fibroid has grown.

I have been trying to get pregnant for a long time. Should I try Artificial Insemination before I try IVF?
Artificial insemination (AIH) is certainly a little easier do than IVF and is less expensive. AIH may be considered by some couples who might never try IVF for religious or cultural reasons, given that fertilization still occurs naturally inside the woman’s body.

Success rates are much lower with AIH than with IVF, however. I may sometimes recommend trying AIH before you proceed to IVF. It depends on the circumstances. The longer the duration of your fertility problem, and the more serious the cause of your fertility problem, the more appropriate it is to proceed directly to IVF

I have heard that IVF is very expensive. Is this true?
IVF is much less expensive than you might imagine. In Australia, IVF is significantly subsidised by Medicare with further subsidies through the safety net program. Your total out-of-pocket expense for a full IVF treatment cycle is approximately $3000. Once you have reached the safety net, however, a significant proportion of that $3000 will be returned to you through the safety net program.

Is there a long waiting list for IVF?
No. There is no waiting list for IVF treatment at all.

Is it true that Victorian laws have changed which will enable single women and women in same-sex relationships to have artificial reproductive technologies?
No, the laws have not yet changed but we believe that they will do so during the period of this current term of Government. At the present time, in Victoria, we are only allowed to treat single women, or women in same-sex relationships, if they can be shown to have “medical infertility”. The definition of medical infertility is not clear-cut. You may need to come and see me to discuss the situation further.

I do not have private health insurance. Does this mean that I cannot do IVF?
Certainly not. In a full IVF treatment cycle there is only one day where you will be actually admitted to hospital. That is the day of your egg collection procedure (OPU). You will be charged a bed-day fee for this admission to hospital. If you are medically insured, your health fund will pay for that day in hospital.

For those patients having IVF treatment who are not medically insured I have the option of performing the egg collection procedure at the Royal Women’s Hospital where the bed-day fee is currently ~$260. There would be very little benefit in taking out private health insurance simply to cover a fee of $260. There obviously many other potential advantages to private health insurance but, as far as IVF treatment is concerned, the benefit is not great.

What is a Blastocyst?
A blastocyst is a 5 day old embryo. Click here if you would like to read more about blastocyst culture.