13 December 2024
Doctors says concerns about being able to have children are becoming more common as people start their families later in life and awareness increases about the impact conditions such as endometriosis can have on fertility.
In response to these concerns and strong demand from women wanting early information about their chances of falling pregnant, Monash IVF has launched a new fertility health service for women and men.
Aimed at singles and couples aged 35 and under who have a reproductive health concern or a family history of fertility problems, Monash IVF’s Fertility Health Check service allows eligible participants to check their fertility status and access expert advice via telehealth.
“Every day we have conversations with patients who tell us they had an inkling they might struggle to conceive because of intense period pain or because their mum went through early menopause, but they don’t know how to check their fertility,” says Monash IVF Melbourne fertility specialist, Dr Luke Larmour.
“While having fertility concerns doesn’t necessarily mean a patient will definitely need IVF to conceive, knowing where they stand with their fertility earlier can help them plan for the future.
“Regardless of whether a person is baby ready or not, - or whether they’re even sure they want children one day, I would strongly encourage anyone with fertility concerns to do a check so they can avoid difficulties down the track.”
The launch of Monash IVF’s Fertility Health Checks service follows a national survey of women aged 28-42 conducted on behalf of fertility provider in 2022.
Almost three quarters or 74 per cent of the women polled said they would be willing to have a fertility health check.
Additionally, new research by Monash IVF conducted earlier this year has revealed 46 per cent of Australians aged 25-34 consider fertility to be extremely important (they ranked it 8 or above on a scale of 0-10), but only 10 per cent had undergo fertility testing.
Monash IVF’s Fertility Health Checks assess female and male fertility and involve the following steps:
Dr Larmour said an initial trial of the service in Victoria last year identified underlying fertility issues among one in four participants who needed further treatment.
“Early fertility education and knowledge empowers people to make informed decisions and can also potentially save them a lot of time, money and heartache in the future. Our aim is to make it easier for Australians to take charge of their reproductive health.”
Wherever you are on your journey, one of our supportive nurse enquiry team can help you understand your options and take the next step. These conversations are free and informative.