Events & support groups

IVF add-ons: How to make choices that are right for you

VARTA's 2021 twilight webinar explored IVF add-ons. Two experts, Dr Sarah Lensen and Professor Cindy Farquhar, discussed the latest research about add-ons (also known as adjuvants) and explained factors to consider when weighing them up.

IVF add-ons are optional extras sometimes offered on top of standard IVF treatments and they usually come with an additional cost. These optional extras include tests, procedures, drugs, the use of new equipment, and alternative therapies. Sarah and Cindy discuss how to find scientific evidence and make sense of it, so you can make informed decisions. Fertility subspecialist Associate Professor Peter Lutjen, also joined the conversation to answer questions from the audience.

If you are thinking about starting IVF or currently going through it, this webinar will provide you with practical information about add-ons and how to make choices that are right for you.

View the presentation slides here.

Thank you to Sarah, Cindy and Peter for sharing their insights and expertise.

About the speakers:

Dr Sarah Lensen

Dr Sarah Lensen is an infertility and IVF researcher at the University of Melbourne, Australia. She is particularly interested in improving evidence-based healthcare for people seeking fertility treatment. She has been involved in a number of large clinical trials and systematic reviews evaluating infertility treatment options, including intrauterine insemination and endometrial scratching for IVF. She has a particular interest in IVF add-ons, and her current research is focusing on the use of IVF add-ons in Australia.

Professor Cindy Farquhar

Cindy is the Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She trained in medicine at the University of Auckland. Her specialist training was in Auckland and London where she completed her MD (research). She is Clinical Director of Fertility Plus and Gynaecology at National Women’s, Auckland District Health Board. She has over 300 peer reviewed publications. She is the coordinating editor of the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group and was the Co-Chair of the Cochrane Governing Board from 2014 - 2018. In 2014 she was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. In 2019 Cindy was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. In 2020 Cindy was appointed the Dean of Research and Policy at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The Twilight seminar series is a flagship of the VARTA event calendar. The interactive seminar is an opportunity to hear from key researchers and reproductive specialists as they shine a spotlight on issues of current interest in the field of fertility and ART. It is also an opportunity to hear lived experiences from people directly affected by these issues.

Previous Twilight seminars covered:

For more information about VARTA events, please contact varta@varta.org.au or call (03) 8622 0500