IVF & Surrogacy
Australia – Fertility Specialist comments on new online tool
Dr Bill Watkins, a Fertility Specialist and a clinical IVF director from Tasmania commented on two recent changes regarding IVF in a radio interview. One, a recent change in law now requires IVF clinics in Australia to publish their performance rates publicly which Dr Watkins says could cause IVF doctors and clinics to pick and choose their patients since they would not want their performance rates to be negatively affected. On the online tool that helps couples decide on IFV and which provider they choose, Dr Watkins said it would still be better to see a specialist since every person is unique. The online tool does not account for relevant factors like whether a person is a smoker, and ovarian reserve. Watkins also said most patients who come for IVF are not infertile. Most people also have a distorted view of IVF thinking that they can conceive through IVF when they are mid to late-40’s but the eggs are too old at that point.
Dr Watkins warns patients not to make use of IVF just because its trending and admits that there were times when he was confident a patient would conceive and they did not. He also recognizes the emotional and financial stress involved for couples. Doctors For Life holds the view that IVF should be procured only between married couples and if no other means exist — On condition that no embryos are destroyed in light of the fact that the gold standard of embryology development, the Carnegie Stages, of embryological development classifies the fertilization as the beginning of life for a human being. Listen to the interview podcast