Home

With the recent enactment of the Health Legislation Amendment (Regulatory Reform) Act 2024, the regulation of Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) and management of Victoria’s donor conception registers will be transferred from VARTA to the Department of Health. The commencement date for the VARTA transition is yet to be formally proclaimed but VARTA understands it is expected to be 1 January 2025. It is therefore anticipated VARTA will cease operations on 31 December 2024. Visit the contact us section for more information.

Welcome to VARTA

VARTA provides independent information and support for individuals, couples, and health professionals on fertility, infertility, assisted reproductive treatment (ART) and the best interests of children born.

Slider image

VARTA & WHISE egg freezing webinar

Interested in learning more about egg freezing? Come along to this free webinar featuring a panel of experts in egg freezing and health promotion.

VARTA & WHISE webinar

VARTA Annual Report

VARTA's 2024 Annual Report is now available.

Annual reports
background

Donor conception registry services

VARTA manages the Central Register and the Voluntary Register and provides support for donors, people who are donor-conceived, parents who used a donor and their families. View services

The Voluntary Register

The Voluntary Register allows people who have been involved in donor conception in Victoria at any time to voluntarily lodge information about themselves and their wishes in order to exchange information with other people on the Voluntary Register.

The Central Register

The Central Register holds the names and dates of birth (identifying information) of all parties to donor conception treatment in Victoria - donor-conceived people, their parents, and donors. The information is provided to VARTA by the fertility clinics where treatment occurred. People can apply to the Central Register for both identifying and non-identifying information.

Latest news & updates

Stay up to date with news about VARTA and assisted reproduction. View media releases, blogs and updates about VARTA's services here.

Most women overestimate their chance of IVF success

New research shows that more than half of women who have IVF overestimate their…

New research on embryo testing (PGT-A)

New research from a global collaboration between clinics shows that embryos with a…

Why you should avoid vaping if you want a baby in future

Vaping may seem less harmful than smoking cigarettes, which are known to increase…
Oct 2022 View more

Personal stories

Experience the stories of real people. View all stories

Welcome to Varta

Telling your adult child they are donor-conceived

Elizabeth, mother of three donor-conceived children, talks about how she told her adult children of their conception.
Video View more
Welcome to Varta

A man's perspective on a future without children

The journey through IVF treatment brings many emotions to the surface. Couples who undertake the journey are often taken by surprise by the demands that IVF can make. Suc...
Audio View more
Welcome to Varta

A mother reflects on her experience of donor treatment in the late 1970S and early 1980s

Elizabeth, a parent of three donor-conceived adults born as a result of donor treatment in the late 1970s and early 1980s at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, reco...
Video View more
Welcome to Varta

A couple's successful IVF treatment

Dinah and Ben's IVF treatment lasted four years until Dinah finally gave birth to their daughter Tallulah in 2010. In listening to this podcast series please bear in mind...
Audio View more
Welcome to Varta

A donor's wife's perspective

I have always known that my husband was a sperm donor while at university in the 70s. It was undertaken on a strictly confidential basis and over the years we really d...
Feature View more
Welcome to Varta

A male perspective on IVF treatment

Ben talks about the effects of IVF and coping strategies. Dinah and Ben's IVF treatment lasted four years until Dinah finally gave birth to their daughter Tallulah in 20...
Audio View more
Welcome to Varta

Family perspectives - talking to children about how you became a family

A panel of parents and their sons and daughters discuss how they told/were told that they became a family with the help of a donor or surrogate. Recorded at the 2016 Time...
Audio View more
Welcome to Varta

Family storybook: "Dear Rosie"

Adam shows the film he and his wife, Rebecca made to explain how their journey to meet their daughter Rosie. They show the video not only to Rosie, but their family and f...
Video View more
Welcome to Varta

A woman's perspective on a future without children

The journey through IVF treatment brings many emotions to the surface. Couples who undertake the journey are often taken by surprise by the demands that IVF can make. Suc...
Audio View more
Welcome to Varta

Balancing hopes against realities

Couples describe the IVF treatment program as a journey with a lot of emotion. It can last for many months, even years. The emotional journey that Anne undertook had her ...
Audio View more