I feel the IVF situation here in Australia is woeful. Yes they can boast some terrific things but the bottom line is...the system is broken and no one not even the women/families it is hurting know it or will say so.

US/UK clinics almost without exception test before IVF cycle # 1. Generally 1 in 3 (slightly smaller number here) after 3 IVF cycles will fall pregnant as it was a mechanical issue(blocked tubes,hormone imbalance,PCOS etc. They treat with meds and go around the problem.
Let me say how fantastic our government is and GENEROUS that the decent people of this country are willing to share the cost.This is far the most generous system anywhere...you don't have to be wealthy or mortgage your home or go broke to have a baby. It's not your fault and this is amazing to have available.I feel very grateful.

My objection is the numbers of cycles women endure here. I agree that if it takes 30 goes, and you can bear up and hang onto your dream and have a baby...that's how it should be.
If they did the testing that is done in self pay clinics in the UK and US (elsewhere too but I know more about these)BEFORE cycle # 1, there would be possibly less heartbreak and more happy baby news. Sadly people in the US have it the worst.Only the wealthy can afford it or mortgage their rearss to pay for this that we have available to us..Those clinics there know that for those lucky few who have insurance coverage,they too have a limited number of tries AFTER they go through He&% with other things like IUI and Post coital tests etc ...they had better perform.No one is coming back for try # 5 or 6. It is not common at all. The clinics know they better get it as close to right as they can or their success figures will drop and soon no one will waste their precious chance or chances of having a baby on their ineffective clinic.
No one is watching them here. they have months long waiting lists.If you ae one of the lucky ones for whom it worked on go 1,2 or 3...very pleased for you.Seriously.I wish it were like that for everyone.
In the UK they have a generous system also but there is a cut off age- 39 I think in some areas.If you are overweight, have lifestyle issues and or other things, you can be tossed out of your place in line by the clinic doctor.Some areas have waiting lists to even be evaluated for 18 months ! Once you tire of waiting 6 months or longer between your government cycle you can self pay. These self pay clinics have ridiculous success rates.Again survival of the best.They pre test and pre treat.
If there was more of that here, I think there would be a crazy enormous IVF baby boom.The wait list of up to 6 months would be reduced greatly.I had to wait 5 months for my FS of choice and she's no one special.Just how it is, I didn't care who treated me, I just wanted to get it going.I foolishly assumed that they were equal in their skill care and training.I now know they are all different.
The skeptic has seen this side of things from the partner's side. He feels helpless and is angry at the money making machine this looks like.If you were a doctor, would you rather do 3 cycles or 14? Financially it seems smarter to do 3 then after patient begs do some testing. Not do 3 total. How are they expected to buy their holiday houses on 3 cycles per patient?
THIS is the reason funding is being threatened and it makes me sick.For every woman reading this who is trying to squeeze in a cycle before the $$ picture changes in January...I am angry for you.It stinks. If the IVF clinics were held up to the same standards of practice as in other places, this would not be happening to us.There would be less attacks on funding.The ppoliticians who are doing this have seen the numbers here VS other countries and decided to act.They hurt us as we are squeezed in the middle of this mess.All we want is to do something any other woman seems to be able to do easily but us...hold our new baby in our arms.
These police checks are the same thing.What is this about.Because you're infertile you are automatically suspect as a criminal or child abuser? This makes me sick.Do we not have enough to worry about without being singled out as people who have to prove we deserve children as we have a clean police record?I have seen plenty of people who look like crims or yell at very small children in public who don't have to go through this.They can have babies and do so whether they will be excellent loving parents or not.ART kids are I am sure of it some of the best loved in the world. At least the hardest won. How many cases are there on the books in Victoria where people 'grow their own' children to abuse? Is there an IVF child abuse ring I don't know about?
So skeptic, I do see your point.Your heart's in the right place but the pork and cars relating to women was too much. Me and some of the other girls want to meet you for a molasses and chook feather mock tarring and feathering.