Our fertility preservation service is designed to protect and preserve your fertility for the future.
The main reason young women and men may need to consider this is the risk of damage to eggs and sperm from chemotherapy drugs, radiotherapy or other treatments, including surgery, for serious medical illnesses and cancer.
Some women may also consider fertility preservation because they are getting older, but are not in a situation where they can try to have a baby right now.
If you are considering fertility preservation, the first step is to discuss any risks to your fertility with your fertility specialist, including the extent of the planned medical treatments or delay in commencing a family. Your fertility specialist can then advise you of the best options for your individual situation.
For young women, these options include freezing of eggs, freezing of embryos, freezing of ovarian tissue, and medications which may protect the ovaries from toxic chemotherapy drugs.
For young men the options include freezing some sperm and freezing of testicular tissue.
Getting started
If you are considering fertility preservation, you should organise an appointment with one of our fertility specialists, or with one of our fertility counsellors if you’re not ready to take that step. You will need a referral from your GP or specialist.
If your fertility preservation referral is for oncology (cancer) purposes, you should mention this at the time of your appointment, to ensure that you are seen quickly by a fertility specialist – normally between 24 hours and 7 days, depending on the urgency of the medical situation.
This gives you the opportunity to discuss your personal circumstances, become informed about the risk to your fertility, and learn about different fertility-protecting and fertility-preserving options. It also helps establish the contact with a "go-to" person for the future to have fertility assessments later on. Down the track, after the cancer or other fertility-compromising treatment has been completed, you will need to have your ongoing potential fertility and hormonal issues assessed and managed. It can also help you consider other future options that may be available – such as donor insemination (for more immediate rather than delayed treatment) or the possible future use of donor eggs if your own ovarian function is likely to be lost.
The fertility specialist will take a medical history, arrange any necessary investigations (including blood tests and ultrasound assessment of the ovaries) and arrange a counselling referral if this is required or requested. If you choose to have egg freezing, the fertility specialist will then manage your care through the stimulation and egg collection procedure.
Our research into fertility preservation
Melbourne IVF is working with cancer specialists and the Reproductive Services Unit at the Royal Women’s Hospital on extensive research into ways to protect and preserve fertility in women and men who need treatment for cancer.
We are currently developing new ways to help protect fertility during chemotherapy or other therapies that can affect the reproductive organs. Our research also focuses on techniques to preserve mature eggs or ovarian tissue before chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. This research was the first of its kind in Australia, and provides leadership and expertise to other clinics around the country.
> Read the latest edition of our Fertility Preservation Service newsletter
> Find out more about our research into fertility preservation
> Read more about age and fertility
> Learn more about Fertility Treatments
> Contact us for more information about fertility preservation
