Media Release

An Australian-first initiative has uncovered valuable insights into what young Australians really think, feel, know and do when it comes to their reproductive health.

Launched today, the Monash IVF Fertility Insights Index has produced the nation’s first ever annual fertility scorecard, allowing health experts and policymakers to better understand fertility needs and trends.

Based on responses to a comprehensive national survey, the Index marked Australians 61.35 out of 100 for fertility attitude, awareness, knowledge and behaviour.

Fertility Scores

Each of the four dimensions making up the Index were given weighted scores out of 25 based on responses to an online poll of 1001 everyday Australians aged 18-44, more than half of whom do not have children.

Commissioned by Monash IVF, the survey included questions on menstrual health, contraception, endometriosis, egg and sperm donation, genetic testing, IVF and more.

Overall, the Index revealed the following about young adults in Australia:

• Attitude – are more likely than not to consider their fertility to be important right now
• Awareness – are familiar with a range of fertility products, services and treatments
• Knowledge - lack strong knowledge about some aspects of reproductive health
• Behaviour – are using or have used at least one fertility product, service or treatment

Innovative Tool

Sydney-based Monash IVF fertility specialist, Dr Giselle Crawford, said the Index was an innovative tool that would measure, track and report on the fertility views and experiences of young Australians annually, providing insights for healthcare professionals and decision makers.

“We now have a baseline score that allows us to better understand how important fertility is to young people, how aware they are of reproductive health services and products and whether or not they are using them,” Dr Crawford said.

“Capturing this data every year means we can closely track current and emerging fertility trends and needs in Australia. We can also identify knowledge gaps and misconceptions that might be impacting people’s reproductive health and family planning. We can then address these through education and services to ensure people are making informed fertility choices.”

Key Index Findings

Attitude:

• 4 in 10 (40%) rated fertility as highly important to them at this point in their life.
• Fertility of most importance to those aged 25-34 (46%)
• Over a third (36%) very comfortable speaking to a GP about fertility

Awareness:

• Majority (94%) have heard of sperm donation, only 69% know a little or a lot about it
• 89% have heard of egg/embryo donation, but only 59% know a little or a lot about it
• One in five (20%) have never heard of endometriosis
• One in six (16%) know a lot about IVF
• 80% of those aged 25-34 have heard of fertility heath assessments, only 47% know anything about them

Knowledge:

• More than half (55%) know being older than 40 can make it hard to conceive
• Most (70%) don’t know using muscle-building steroids can negatively impact fertility

Behaviour:

• Almost 4 in 10 (39%) have used birth control personally or with a partner
• 52% of birth control users are female and 26% are male
• 11% have had their fertility checked.

Additional findings, including by state, are available on the Monash IVF website.

About the survey

• Conducted by the Lab Insights & Strategy on behalf of Monash IVF Australia
• Online poll of 1001 people aged 18-44 (51% female, 48% male, 1% other)
• All states represented
• More than half (56%) of respondents do not have children, 21% are planning to have children, 10% are actively trying, 5% do not want children and 8% are unsure if they want children.

Media Contact:

Anastasia Salamastrakis
asalamastrakis@monashivfgroup.com
0457 603 013

About Monash IVF Group

Monash IVF have been providing leading reproductive care for 50+ years. Our team includes experienced fertility specialists, genetic counsellors, scientists, obstetricians, gynaecologists, ultrasound technicians, donor and surrogacy experts and nursing teams, all of whom are passionate about supporting people throughout their entire fertility journey. We offer holistic, integrated care from pre-conception health assessments to genetic testing and counselling through to fertility treatment options, and even ultrasound services. We’re with you every step of the way. Learn more about us and the services we provide at monashivf.com