New interactive tool lists success rate for every Victorian IVF clinic

Women and couples considering IVF can now compare the success rate of Victoria’s IVF clinics. See how every clinic in the state rates.

Women and couples considering IVF can now calculate their likelihood of falling pregnant and decide which clinic is best for them after the launch of a new website.

The Your IVF Success site went public on Monday, revealing the success rates of fertility clinics across Victoria.

The move has been supported by many health providers, who say it increases transparency in the sector.

Royal Women’s Hospital reproductive services head Associate Professor Kate Stern, said she “welcomed” the initiative.

“I think this website has several benefits, it gives you some good information and has lots of explainers which I think is important,” Prof Stern said.

“I’m thrilled to share the incredibly positive results in our younger patient demographic – 48 per cent of egg retrievals in 18-34-year-olds resulted in a birth, that’s 3 per cent ahead of the national average.

“But a lot of relevant patient data is not revealed here and of course everybody should talk to their GP and fertility team about their situation.”

Prof Stern, who treats a number of patients undergoing treatment for cancer and serious medical issues, many of whom are older, said while great, the data did not fully reflect such limitations.

She added: “I really, really welcome this initiative but I think it’s important we don’t end up with clinics turning people away because of the numbers.”

For Victorians, the clinics with the highest number of births based on complete egg retrieval cycles for patients under 35 were City Fertility in Bundoora (53.8 per cent), Reproductive Medicine Albury (49.4 per cent) and Monash IVF in Geelong (48.5 per cent).

For those in the older age bracket, between 35 and 42, Monash IVF Bendigo, Monash IVF Geelong and Monash IVF Clayton rated the best.

The site, which operates nationwide, was developed by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Statistics Unit (NPESU) at the University of New South Wales, and funded by the federal government. It is based on data from the Australia and New Zealand Assisted Reproduction Database, a compulsory registry of all assisted reproductive technology.

Professor Georgina Chambers, director of the NPESU, said it was the “the most comprehensive and contemporary IVF calculator in the world”.

Aleisha and Mark Lewis, with Maisie, tried to fall pregnant for a year before turning to IVF. Picture: Jason Edwards

Caroline Springs mum Aleisha Lewis and husband Mark tried to fall pregnant for more than a year before turning to IVF.

They now have daughter Maisie, 23 months, and said having the ability to calculate their own likelihood and the best clinic for them would be “really good”.

“It would be really good for older people to know this particular clinic works well for people over 40, because a lot of the time that’s when people need it,” said Ms Lewis, who was treated and gave birth at the Women’s.

“I’m 40 this year but I was 36 at the time when they harvested my eggs and I think, just knowing and seeing, because I am an older mum, the timeline, I would have liked things to happen earlier.”

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