Before using donated gametes, consider:

• Family. What are your ideas about family? Is genetic connection a priority? Have you taken time and space to grieve the loss of not being genetically related to your child, including physical resemblance and family history? It is important that you feel confident and comfortable regardless of your child’s genetic origins.
• Your donor. If you know your donor, how might their donating affect your relationship with them? If you do not know your donor, what characteristics (i.e. intelligence, health) are important when choosing your donor?
• Relationships. What will the donor’s role be in relation to your child? Who and what will you tell your family, friends and, most importantly, your child?
• Access to information. Consider that your child may want more information about their donor or may want to contact them when they are older. Consider how you would feel if you were contacted by the donor for information or to meet.
• Legal implications. Understand the legal implications of your decisions here. Seek legal advice before proceeding.

Having doubts and fears is normal. It is important that you think through and discuss any concerns you have. Talking to your partner, close friends or family, known donor, or your counsellor are good ways to explore issues further. You may want to contact a support group or talk to others who have been through it before you make a decision.

The Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008 contains various consent provisions. These provisions relate to issues such as the withdrawal of consent and what happens in the event of death. These are discussed during counselling, before you consent to treatment, and in the forms that you sign.

In 2017-18, 35 women received fertility treatment as surrogates in Victorian clinics, and 13 babies were born as part of surrogacy arrangements.

In 2017-18, 35 women received fertility treatment as surrogates in Victorian clinics, and 13 babies were born as part of surrogacy arrangements.

The cost of surrogacy varies significantly based on location, number of cycles required and individual circumstances. Surrogacy Australia estimates an average cost of around $55,000 - $75,000 over a two-year period. This includes costs such as legal fees, non-rebatable IVF, mandatory counselling, allowable surrogate compensation, insurance and travel, and transfer of parentage.

The possible health effects of surrogacy are similar to that of IVF. These can include:

• Effects on the child born as a result of the treatment.
• Effects on the egg provider. Reactions to fertility drugs include hot flushes, feelings of depression or irritation, headaches and restlessness. There is also a small risk of ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS), which can cause stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath and faintness.
• Effects on the surrogate. These include the usual risks associated with any pregnancy and birth. These risks are increased with the age of the surrogate.
• There is also the rare risk of transfer of HIV and/or hepatitis. To eliminate this risk, mandatory screening of everyone involved in surrogacy is required. To enhance safety, embryos are also ‘quarantined’ for six months (although this time period may vary from clinic to clinic), at the end of which, before proceeding with the embryo transfer, any infections or diseases are screened for a second time. For more detail about the risks involved in surrogacy, please consult your fertility specialist.

Surrogacy arrangements in which a surrogate uses her own eggs is known as traditional surrogacy.

In Victoria, fertility clinics are only permitted to practise gestational surrogacy. This means that the surrogate is implanted with an embryo created using an egg from another woman (either the intended parent or donated from another woman).

However, without the involvement of a fertility clinic, traditional surrogacy is permitted. If you are considering traditional surrogacy, VARTA recommends that you obtain legal advice, especially with respect to obtaining legal parentage of any child born.

Find out more about surrogacy arrangements here.

You can find out more about becoming a surrogate here.

As with those who are seeking a surrogate, Victorian law prevents people from advertising or publishing that they are willing to act as a surrogate. This includes advertising that you are willing to accept benefits under a surrogacy arrangement. The most common scenario is that someone known personally to the intended parent(s) acts as the surrogate.

Once you have decided, in consultation with your fertility specialist, that surrogacy is the right option for you, it’s up to you to find a person willing to act as a surrogate. This is not an easy task. Some options include:

• letting family/friends know that surrogacy is your only option
• asking family or friends for help
• seeking a surrogate online (surrogacy support groups or online forums)

It is important to:

• Understand that decisions may affect your relationship with them in the future if they are not comfortable with the idea.
• Reassure those involved that you’ll understand if they don’t feel able or comfortable to do this for you. It is better that they are honest rather than going ahead if they have doubts.

It is illegal to publish an advertisement or notice or attempt to publicly seek a surrogate. Fertility clinics cannot advertise on your behalf. You are not allowed to pay a surrogate other than prescribed costs here. 

You can find out more about the process of surrogacy and how to find a surrogate here.

The chance of having a baby with surrogacy depends on a range of factors, including:

• the age of the person providing the egg or sperm
• the age of the surrogate
• the lifestyle of the surrogate and egg, sperm or embryo providers
• the stage of development when the embryo is transferred to the surrogate (2-3 day or 5-day embryo).