Am I too old?

As a woman gets older, her eggs lose the energy needed to form a pregnancy. The chance of genentic abnormalities also increases. See a fuller discussion of the effects of age on this page.

However, the final decision about whether IVF treatment is appropriate for you must be made by you and your doctor. If your doctor considers you to have a chance and refers you to us, you will receive our full support.

In 20 years of practice, no clinic in Australia, including Sydney IVF, has achieved a live birth for a woman of 45 years or more using her own eggs. Thus treatment for women of close to this age or older needs to be well thought through and discussed with honesty and respect.

Single women and lesbian couples

Sydney IVF does not refuse treatment to women because of marital status or sexual orientation. Single women and lesbian couples are welcome and treated with care and respect.

Because of our policy of not accepting anonymous sperm donors, we require that single women and lesbian couples who come to us for treatment bring with them their own sperm donor. See our sperm donation policy on this page.

Will Medicare pay?

Medicare covers the treatment of IVF for medical infertility. If your doctor deems that your treatment is not for medical infertility (as is the case for many lesbian couples), then you will not receive a rebate.

Some other treatments, such as surrogacy, are also not covered by Medicare. It's best to check with your doctor at the start.

Patients who are not Australian citzens or residents are welcome at Sydney IVF, but are not covered by Medicare.