A new bill is before the South Australian parliament that would make IVF available to lesbian couples and fertile single mothers

A new bill is before the South Australian parliament that would make IVF available to lesbian couples and fertile single mothers.

The bill, proposed by minister for social inclusion Bill Hunter, is intended to overcome “discrimination” in current IVF regulations. Current law permits access to IVF services only for women deemed “medically infertile”.

Mr Hunter said that the bill discriminated against women who were healthy but whose “social circumstances prevent them from conceiving without some sort of assisted reproductive treatment”.

Both major parties have allowed a conscience vote on the bill. It has already passed in the upper house and is expected to pass in the lower house by a two vote majority.

Current restrictions mean that women have to travel interstate for IVF treatment.

State premier Jay Weatherill last week publicly supported the lifting of restrictions. However, Attorney-General John Rau and former health minister John Hill have said they would not support reproductive treatment for same-sex couples.

Xavier Symons
Creative commons
discrimination
IVF
same-sex parenting