Frequently Asked
Questions

Call us:

(08) 8490 3980 or
1300 639 326
Fax: (08) 8312 2505

Address:

Ashford Specialist Centre:
Suite 20, 4th Floor,
57-59 Anzac Highway,
Ashford SA 5035

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Office hours:

Monday - Friday
8:00am - 5:00pm
(extended hours available upon request)

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After hours advice:

Please refer to Link below
Download PDF

Book a consultation:

Free nursing consultation (15 minute)

Book Now

Do you have a female doctor I can see?

Yes, we have Dr Angelique Swart working with us at Family Fertility Centre. Dr Swart provides both fertility and general gynecology care, including colposcopy. Our doctors, both male and female, use chaperones during all medical examinations and you are welcome to bring a friend or partner to accompany you during your consultations and examinations. See more about Dr Swart here.

What options do you have regarding sperm, egg and embryo donors?

At Family Fertility Centre we recognise that one size does not fit all, and we aim to be able to provide donor options that meet each patient’s needs, wishes and price ranges. We are proud of the variety and quality of donor sperm we are able to offer, including donors recruited in Adelaide, America and options to directly import sperm from a list of donors. Visit our Donor Options link for more information.

What treatment options do you offer?

At FFC, we pride ourselves on offering you the most appropriate treatment options available and wanted by you, not the most expensive one. We individualize your treatment by listening to your preferences and presenting you with options. Together, the best treatment option for you is decided and you may be surprised to know that the cast majority of our patients do not start with IVF/ICSI.

We offer ovulation tracking, ovulation induction, sperm donor programs, IVF, ICSI, intrauterine insemination (IUI), sperm suitability assessment for artificial reproductive technology, surgical sperm recover (TESA/PESA), assisted hatching, embryo biopsy, preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) and single gene disorders (PGT-M), freezing and storage of sperm, eggs and embryos, access to “Life Whisperer”, surrogacy, sterilization reversal, and diagnosis and treatment of PCOS and endometriosis.

More details regarding the treatments we offer are available on our Treatment page.

Can I access your services?

You do not need to be medically infertile or in a relationship to access treatment. We can facilitate access to donor sperm and eggs, as well as storage, regardless of your fertility or marital status. We have an extensive experience helping single persons achieve their dreams of family, and pride ourselves in our devoted service for diverse communities and the LGBTIQA+ community. We are also able to offer our services to rural, interstate, international patients, FIFO workers and non-Australian citizens. Call us today to see how we can help you.

What is IVF?

In Vitro Fertilisation is the process of helping people fall pregnant after other means have been exhausted or not clinically indicated. Almost 1 in 20 babies in Australia are born through IVF.

After a series of injections, eggs are recovered and are combined with sperm outside of the body (in vitro) to aid fertilisation. Fertilised eggs are grown in a protected environment in a lab for several days before being transferred into the woman’s uterus, or frozen for future cycles. IVF is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology, and can be done with you and your partners own eggs/sperm, or with our donors. We are happy to discuss your options with you, and create a customised treatment plan specifically suited to your needs and medical requirements.

What is ICSI?

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a specialised form of IVF, primarily utilised in the treatment of patients with male-factor infertility. ICSI involves a single sperm being injected directly into the cytoplasm of a mature egg in order to enable fertilisation.

How does Family Fertility Centre safeguard against sample mix-ups?

Family Fertility is the first South Australian fertility clinic to implement RI Witness – a radio frequency ID tracking, used to monitor your samples in our clinic. While sample mix-ups are extremely rare, the ground-breaking technology of RI Witness will only allow matched samples to be in the same area, avoiding potential mistakes from occurring. See our video for further explanation of how FFC and RI Witness protects your samples.

Why can’t I fall pregnant?

There are as many reasons as there are patients, and unfortunately there will be no answer for about 10% of them. The other 90% can be explained by reasons related to the quality or quantity of gametes (eggs or sperm), their interactions, tubal obstructions, endometriosis, lack of regular ovulation, or simply lack of regular penetrative vaginal intercourse or bad timing. Our doctors are dedicated to finding the answers for you, and further, solutions.

What is OHSS?

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) is a potential complication of IVF treatment, but may also occur after other types of treatment, or rarely in a natural cycle. IVF is essentially hyper-stimulating the ovaries to develop 8-15 eggs, rather than one occurring in a non stimulated cycle, so mild symptoms are to be expected. OHSS usually resolves after 7-10 days, but at FFC, we are focused on preventing OHSS. Speak with our nurses for more information on how we monitor and prevent OHSS.

What is PCOS?

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder, and is one of the leading causes of fertility problems in a female’s reproductive years. PCOS can cause irregular menstrual cycles, hair growth, acne and many small cysts (follicles) in the ovaries. The hormonal differences seen in women with PCOS affects ovulation and can cause difficulty when trying to conceive. Fortunately, we are able to treat PCOS with oral tablets and/or follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to release eggs. Diet and exercise can also help improve fertility and ovulation in with women with PCOS. If you suspect you may have PCOS, or have been diagnosed with PCOS, call us to book an appointment with one of our doctors for management and further information.

What is Life Whisperer?

Life Whisperer is an artificial intelligence tool to aid embryologists identify and select the most viable embryo for transfer and/or cryopreservation. Life Whisperer identifies morphological features and patterns that constitute a healthy embryo, which are often not visible to the human eye. Our experienced embryologist will grade and take a photo of your day 5 embryo/s, and if you choose, will upload to the Life Whisperer program. Within a few minutes, a score is given depicting the viability of each embryo.

I still have questions – what now?

Contact us! Please visit the contact us page for more details and to send an enquiry, or call us on 1300-NEW-FAMILY (1300 639 326). We are here to answer your questions and help you along your journey.

We don’t give up when others might, contact us today to discuss how we can help.

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