Saroj Chaus

The information on this page is a general overview of 2 types of assisted reproductive treatment (ART):

More detailed information is available on the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA)External Link website.

IVF and ICSI are forms of assisted reproductive treatment (ART) in which eggs are fertilised with sperm outside the body.

IVF is used for female infertility and unexplained infertility, and ICSI is used when there is a male cause of infertility.

Sometimes ICSI is offered when there is no male cause of infertility, but research shows that this does not increase the chance of having a baby.

The steps involved in IVF and ICSI treatment are:

Clinics report success ratesExternal Link in different ways. When comparing clinics’ success rates for IVF and ICSI make sure you compare like with like, or ‘apples with apples’. And, most importantly, you need to consider your own personal circumstances and medical history when you estimate your chance of having a baby with IVF or ICSI.

The woman’s age is the most important factor determining the chance of having a baby with IVF. See what the chance of having a baby is after one, 2, and 3 IVF or ICSI cycles for women of different agesExternal Link .

In the hands of experts, IVF and ICSI are safe procedures and medical complications are rare. But, as with all medical procedures, there are some possible health effects to consider for women and men undergoing treatment and for children born as a result of treatment.

Risks associated with IVF and ICSI include:

IVF and ICSI are also psychologically demanding and emotional health effectsExternal Link are common. In Australia, counselling services are available in all fertility clinics. Women who have IVF treatment, and their partners, are encouraged to use these if they experience emotional difficulties.

In Australia, Medicare (and private health insurance ) covers some of the costs associated with IVFExternal Link and ICSI but there are also substantial out-of-pocket costs.

The difference between the Medicare benefit and the amount charged by the clinic is the out-of-pocket cost. These costs vary, depending on the treatment, the clinic and whether a patient has reached the Medicare Safety Net thresholdExternal Link .

Sometimes people have embryos in storage that they don’t intend to use. Most commonly this is because they have completed their family, but for some people, health reasons prevent them from using their stored embryos. At the end of the storage time limit, which in Victoria is 5 years, people need to decide what to do with unused embryos.

There are 4 options available:

Couples who have frozen embryos that they are not intending to use often find it difficult to decide what to do with them. Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA) has an interactive decision-making toolExternal Link designed to help people who find it hard to decide what to do with their unused embryos.