The Ethical guidelines on the use of assisted reproductive technology in clinical practice and research (ART guidelines) are used by professional organisations to set standards for the practice of ART.
Publication Data
The ART guidelines are primarily intended for ART clinicians, clinic nurses, embryologists, counsellors and administrators, researchers, Human Research Ethics Committees, and governments.
On 20 April 2017, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released revised Ethical guidelines on the use of assisted reproductive technology in clinical practice and research (ART guidelines). The ART guidelines are used by professional organisations to set standards for the practice of ART. The ART guidelines are primarily intended for ART clinicians, clinic nurses, embryologists, counsellors and administrators, researchers, Human Research Ethics Committees, and governments.
The ART Working Committee
The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Working Committee was established on 16 April 2013 to advise the Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC) on the review of the ethical guidelines on the clinical practice of ART (Part B of the ART guidelines). Appointments to the ART Working Committee concluded on 31 December 2017.
Public consultation
To inform the development of revised ethical guidance in Part B of the ART guidelines, public consultation on the current ethical guidance was conducted over the period 11 March – 30 April 2014. Sixty-five submissions were received.
All submissions received were considered by the ART Working Committee to develop the draft ethical guidelines which also underwent public consultation during 23 July – 17 September 2015. One hundred and eighty-seven submissions were received.
These submissions informed the final document considered by AHEC and the Council. Where NHMRC has the permission of the author, submissions to both public consultations are available from the NHMRC Public Consultation website.
Overview of the ART guidelines
The ART guidelines are divided into three parts:
- Part A provides background and introductory material
- Part B provides ethical guidelines for the clinical practice of ART
- Part C provides ethical guidelines for research consistent with the Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction Act 2002 (PHCR Act) and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 (RIHE Act).
You can read more about the guidelines on the Ethical guidelines for Assisted Reproductive Technology page.
Previous versions of the ART guidelines
Previous versions of the ART guidelines can be accessed from the National Library of Australia’s web archive.
Webinar
Briefing with Professor Anne Kelso AO and Professor Ian Olver AM (audio only).
