Industry Growth Drivers
Attractive industry drivers
In FY23, demand for Monash IVF services and treatments remained well-above pre-COVID levels. Underpinning this demand are a number of attractive industry drivers that point to strong future market growth.
Maternal Age
A notable societal trend is rising maternal birth age, which increased by two years in the past 20 years.
As more people delay starting a family for personal or professional reasons, there has been a subsequent increase in demand for assisted reproductive treatment. Today the number of babies born through IVF in Australia is one in 18. At Monash IVF, the average maternal age is 37.
Greater Fertility Options
With Monash IVF’s help, more people are becoming aware of their fertility health and reproductive options, including freezing their eggs to preserve their fertility.
As a result, our egg freezing cycles rose by 14% in FY23.
In FY23, donor cycles remained strong, driven by solo mums and same sex couples using donated sperm in their quest to become parents.
Increasing fertility awareness is also leading to more people having pre-conception health testing to assess their chances of achieving a healthy pregnancy now or in the future and to take immediate or early steps to increase their chances of starting a family should any red flags be identified
Government Support
New government financial support is helping drive demand by making reproductive treatments more accessible and affordable to more patients.
The NSW Government introduced a $2000 cash rebate for patients for treatments dating back to 1 October 2022 and payable from 1 January 2023. This is on top of a $250 fertility health assessment rebate.
Nationally, the Federal Government will provide increased support for testing and diagnosis of genetic diseases from November 2023. The Government has also announced funding for 20 specialised endometriosis clinics that could help the early identification of people who will benefit from fertility treatment.
Genetics
Genomics guides treatment and helps us improve the health of the next generation.
Advances in genetic screening have played a crucial role in improving our pregnancy rate. In FY23, the number of patients at Monash IVF Group using pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) increased by 11.2%. The number of complex cases for patients with a high chance of having a child with a genetic condition increased by 29.9%, reflecting our growing impact in this space. PGT is used to select embryos with a low chance of a genetic condition and a high chance of implantation for patients with a wide range of genetic and fertility concerns.
In FY23 sale of Monash IVF Group’s Genetic Carrier Screening test rose by 46%. Launched in December 2021, the saliva swab can be taken by any prospective parent in the comfort of their own home and is used to identify potential genetic disorders or conditions that may be passed on to their offspring, allowing people to make informed pre-conception choices.
