Sydney IVF has previously offered sex selection treatment, using a technique called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, provided couples understood that there would be no subsidy from Medicare for the treatment involved.

We suspended our sex selection program in February 2005 following the release of an opposing clinical practice guideline (based on moral reasons) by the Australian Health Ethics Committee.

While we are no longer able to provide sex selection for family balancing reasons, sex selection is still available through Sydney IVF for medical reasons (for example, to prevent the transmission of a sex-linked genetic disease) and this form of treatment is usually covered by Medicare.

IVF with PGD and selection of embryos according to sex for family balancing, however, is therefore presently suspended "pending further community discussion".

Should you wish to contact the NHMRC and their AHEC (Australian Health Ethics Committee) division to encourage such community discussion, their website is: www.nhmrc.gov.au and the contact phone number is 02 6289 9575.

Where can I go?

Meanwhile, we are frequently asked where IVF for sex selection is available outside of Australia. Geographically the clinic that is closest to Australia and which we can recommend is Superior ART in Bangkok, Thailand, a clinic with which we have an ongoing relationship enabling them to provide high quality embryo culture, blastocyst biopsy and preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

Sydney IVF cannot take responsibility for your decision to pursue such treatment, which carries physical and psychological hazards that might not be explained to you to the standard of informed consent we might expect at a clinic fully under our control in Australia.