A western suburbs woman is leading a campaign for greater regulation of Australia’s IVF industry.
Michelle Galea from Hobsons Bay is the founder and chair of Assisted Reproductive Treatment Families Australia (ARTFA), a newly established not-for-profit organisation advocating for families navigating IVF, assisted reproductive treatment (ART), and donor conception in Australia.
Australia’s IVF industry has come under scrutiny this year following errors involving fertility company, Monash IVF, where in two separate incidents, patients at its Melbourne and Brisbane clinics were implanted with the wrong embryos, the latter resulting in a women giving birth to a stranger’s baby.
Ms Galea, who conceived her son through IVF more than a decade ago, highlighted the need for a national regulatory system to oversee the IVF industry.
“At present IVF regulation is a patchwork of regulations varying state by state, some states only adhere to guidelines as there is no regulation in their state,” she said.
“We also have a system where donors can donate at multiple clinics across multiple states as no one is cross checking where and when donors donate or how many families are being created.
“This all equals a perfect storm for a disaster that the politicians keep ignoring.”
Ms Galea and the ARTFA have launched an e-petition before federal parliament which calls for urgent reform of the IVF and donor conception sector, including: independent regulation of the industry; greater transparency and accountability; the creation of a national donor registry and donor bank and stronger protections for donor-conceived people and families.
At time of writing the petition had close to 950 signatures, with Ms Galea hoping to reach 2000 by the closing date on October 3.
She said the issue was gaining momentum.
“Families across Australia are coming forward to share their experiences, many of which highlight not only emotional and financial exploitation but also failures in record-keeping and protections for children.
“ARTFA was founded to give these families and donor-conceived people a collective voice.”
To view and sign the petition go to: https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN7525/sign
