About the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority
The Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority is the statutory body that is given responsibility under the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008 for administering aspects of this legislation.
Guiding principles
The Authority’s work is informed by the following guiding principles outlined in the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008:
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the welfare and interests of persons born or to be born as a result of treatment procedures are paramount;
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at no time should the use of treatment procedures be for the purpose of exploiting, in trade or otherwise-
(i) the reproductive capabilities of men or women; or
(ii) children born as a result of treatment procedures;
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children born as a result of the use of donated gametes have a right to informnation about their genetic parents;
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the health and wellbeing of persons undergoing treatment procedures must be protected at all times;
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persons seeking to undergo treatment procedures must not be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation, marital status, race or religion.
Specific functions of the Authority are:
- to register Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) providers under this Act;
- public education about treatment procedures and the best interests of children born as a result of treatment procedures;
- community consultation about matters relevant to this Act;
- monitoring of
(i) programs and activities carried out under this Act; and
(ii) programs and activities carried out relating to the causes and prevention of infertility; and
(iii) programs and activities relating to treatment procedures carried out outside Victoria;
- promotion of research into the causes and prevention of infertility;
- approval of the bringing of donor gametes or embryos formed from donor gametes into or the taking out of them from Victoria; and
- providing advice and reporting to the Minister for Health on treatment procedures carried out under this Act, and the programs under which they were conducted.
These functions are informed by the development of policies, guidelines, and conditions, which relate to registration and approvals under the Act. Each document is reviewed and revised on a regular basis.
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