Page 15 - FSANZ SPRING -2021

Counsellors busy on legislative reforms
The Australian and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors Association (ANZICA) has not let Covid-19 stop it from its important work in actively advocating on behalf of patients on a range of legislative and regulatory issues in recent times.
ANZICA Chair, Rebecca Kerner, and Iolanda Rodino, the ANZICA representative to the FSANZ Board, presented a detailed submission to a Senate inquiry relating to the Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform Bill 2021.
The Bill provides for the legalisation of mitochondrial donation techniques in Australia under a national regulatory framework. Mitochondrial donation is an assisted reproductive technology that, when combined with IVF, has the potential to allow women whose mitochondria would predispose their potential children to mitochondrial disease to have a biological child who does not inherit that predisposition.
The Bill also allows for further research and training to build the Australian evidence base and expertise for mitochondrial donation while enabling further data to be gathered in relation to the safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation techniques.
A major focus of the Senate inquiry is on whether the technology can be undertaken in an ethically appropriate, safe and carefully controlled manner.
Rebecca said the ANZICA submission to the Senate inquiry highlighted that the issues raised in this potential reform were not just the domain of science and law.
The submission stated in part: “It is critical to also fully consider the psychosocial implications concerned for all parties, not simply the intending parents, but the donor (and any partner) who is undertaking a significant medical treatment in this process, the wider group involved (in the case of known donation), and for the well-being of the unborn child.
“In particular, ANZICA notes (under section: Subdivision D – Conditions of Mitochondrial Donation Licences) the inclusion of ‘proper consent’. We are concerned that this consent again appears to be limited to the intending parent(s) alone and not the other parties to the process.
“Given the clinical and psychosocial complexities associated with mitochondrial donation, ANZICA strongly recommends that rigorous counselling and regulatory conditions that are currently in place for third party reproduction should be applied.
“ANZICA also strongly encourages enhancing community knowledge about what egg donation entails – medically, psychologically, socially and financially – when contemplating decisions about the introduction of mitochondrial donation.
“Past experience and research have highlighted the serious harm that can be caused to all parties involved when thorough exploration of the psychological implications is not carried out. It is essential that we learn from these important lessons when introducing any new legislation.”
ANZICA has also had consultative input into the development of surrogacy legislation in the Northern Territory and in successfully lobbying for the long awaited donor conception register in South Australia.
In part, the donor conception register will provide all donor conceived people with the right to access identifying information about their donor, with retrospective effect, including the creation of a contact preference scheme.
Meanwhile, ANZICA has been busily reviewing its terms of reference with a particular focus on providing professional development requirements and guidelines for individuals with mental health care qualifications who are entering the field of infertility counselling.
Rebecca said: “As part of this review, and in keeping with our continued desire to maintain the high professional standards and safety expected for fertility counsellors, all members will need to demonstrate that they have completed at least 10 hours of professional development per annum in the area of fertility counselling to maintain their membership.
“Under our new requirements, overseas members will also need to ensure that at least 2.5 out of the required 10 hours of professional development should be through ANZICA/FSANZ CPD opportunities.
“These changes have not been taken lightly and come with a firm commitment to supporting practitioners who are new to the world of fertility to be appropriately guided and supervised before taking on the role of full ANZICA member and senior counsellor.
“In our view, this also reinforces a belief that the role of senior counsellor is a specialised one requiring experience and training specifically in the fertility field.
“The ANZICA Executive strongly believe these positive changes will bring us in line with other professional specialist groups. We are delighted to report that these changes have been endorsed by the FSANZ Board.”
With support from Kim O’Dea of the FSANZ Secretariat, ANZICA has launched a new logo that reflects its desire for professional recognition.
ANZICA held a very successful virtual mid-year workshop with enthusiastic on-line participation by over 100 members addressing the topic of Matters of the Heart: Matters of the Court – Counselling Issues and Donor Conception.
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