Advice to the Minister of Health on the Use of In Vitro Maturation in Fertility Treatment
In vitro maturation (IVM) is a fertility treatment process that is a variation of conventional in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Conventional IVF involves stimulating patients’ ovaries with large doses of hormones to release numbers of mature eggs which are then fertilised in the laboratory. With IVM, immature eggs are obtained, with little or no stimulation of the ovaries, and the eggs are then matured in the laboratory before being fertilised.
ACART undertook work to develop advice to the Minister of Health on whether IVM should be declared an established procedure. The work included public consultation from January to March 2009. A summary of submissions received is attached to ACART's advice.
ACART’s advice to the Minister:
The collection of immature eggs and the use of eggs matured by IVM for individual and donation treatment purposes be declared an established procedure.
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