Specialty: Public Fertility Care
Age group: Adult
Criteria for referral to public hospital service
Current Victorian residents who hold a standard or interim Medicare card that
- are younger than 35 years and who are part of a heterosexual couple that have been trying to conceive for more than a year
- are aged between 35 and 42 years and who are part of a heterosexual couple that have been trying to conceive for at least six months
- are 42 years or younger seeking to use their own eggs
- are younger than 51 years seeking to use donor eggs (the donor egg being used must be 42 years or younger at time of collection)
- require preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-M/SR) for couples at risk of passing on recessive, autosomal dominant, chromosomal rearrangements, or mitochondrial disorders.
Information to be included in the referral
Information that must be provided
Patient information
- Age
- Medical, reproductive and gynaecological history
- If the patient is seeking to use their own eggs, a known donor egg or sperm, or seeking to access Victoria’s Donor egg and sperm program
- Transvaginal pelvic ultrasound results (transabdominal pelvic ultrasound results can be provided for people who have not become sexually active, are a survivor of sexual assault or have declined a transvaginal pelvic ultrasound)
- If the patient has a preferred language other than English and if they rely on cultural or linguistic support (e.g. Aboriginal cultural support, an interpreter).
Partner information (if applicable)
- Demographic information (full name, date of birth, address, contact details, Medicare number, any requirements to ensure cultural safety and any a preferred language other than English)
- If accessing treatment with a sperm providing partner, the partner’s semen analysis results (investigation results supplied must not be greater than 12 months old).
Provide if available
Patient information (investigation results supplied must not be greater than 12 months old)
- Most recent human papillomavirus (HPV) and liquid-based cytology (LBC) co-test result or cervical screening test results
- Sexually transmitted infections test results including syphilis and chlamydia/gonorrhoea urine or endocervical polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results
- Varicella zoster virus (VZV) serology results
- Rubella serology results
- Hepatitis B virus serology results
- Hepatitis C virus serology results
- HIV serology results
- Blood group and antibody screen test
- Full blood count
- Iron studies or serum ferritin
- Karyotype test results
- Free testosterone results (calculated from testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and albumin levels)
- Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) results
- Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level
- Luteinising hormone (LH) level
- Oestradiol (E2) level
- Progesterone level measured on day 21 for menstrual regular cycles and adjusted for irregular cycles
- Prolactin (PRL) level
- Thyrotrophin (TSH) level
- If the patient identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- If the patient is neurodiverse
- If the patient is gender diverse
- If the patient has a disability.
Partner information (if applicable) (investigation results supplied must not be greater than 12 months old)
- Partner information, all genders
- hepatitis B virus (HBV) serology results
- hepatitis C virus serology results
- HIV serology results
- Varicella zoster virus (VZV) serology test
- sexually transmitted infections test results including syphilis
- Partner information, if the partner is the sperm provider
- male hormone test results
- sperm antibodies (Sperm Mar test (MAR))
- Partner information, if the partner is the gamete provider
- karyotype test results.
Additional comments
The Minimum information for referrals to non-admitted specialist services lists the information that should be included in a referral request.
Referring clinicians are asked to complete the listed investigations to reduce delays and streamline care. Investigation results supplied must not be greater than 12 months old.
All referrals must be directed to the Royal Women’s Hospital. Referrals will be triaged at the Royal Women’s Hospital and sent to partner sites, for either a first consultation and/or management of treatment cycles, depending on the partner health service. Partner sites are currently located at
- Barwon Health (Geelong)
- Bendigo Health (Bendigo)
- Goulburn Valley Health (Shepparton)
- Grampians Health (Ballarat)
- Mercy Health for Women (Heidelberg)
- Mildura Health Public Hospital (Mildura)
- Monash Health (Clayton)
- Northern Health (Epping)
- South West Healthcare (Warrnambool)
- Western Health (Sunshine).
Public fertility care is focused on improving access for people who currently have limited access to private services, such as
- lower-income earners
- people living in regional and rural Victoria
- people who need donor services (such as LGBTIQA+ and single people)
- people who need fertility preservation due to medical treatment, such as people with cancer or people undergoing gender affirming treatment
- people who need testing for specific genetic conditions
Patients are eligible for up to 2 egg collection cycles per person per lifetime.
Not all patients will require or progress to in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). Some people achieve pregnancy naturally or with the support of less invasive interventions such as medication and lifestyle supports.
Referral to a public hospital is not appropriate for
- People who are not current Victorian residents or who do not hold a standard or interim Medicare card
- People 43 years or older seeking to use their own eggs
- People 51 years or older seeking to use donor eggs or if the donor egg being used 43 years or older at time of collection.
- People who are part of a heterosexual couple that have not been trying to conceive for the required time period
- Preimplantation embryo screening (PGT-A)
- Reversal of sterilisation procedures
- Elective egg freezing.
Updated