The Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ACART) is seeking feedback on proposed advice to the Minister of Health that the use of cryopreserved ovarian tissue to restore ovarian function become an established procedure.
Please note: This consultation has now closed.
In 2005, storage of cryopreserved ovarian tissue was declared an established procedure. This means the freezing and storage of ovarian tissue can be routinely offered by fertility clinics and does not require case by case ethical review by the Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology. The subsequent use of cryopreserved ovarian tissue was not included in the established procedure because of the novelty of the procedure and limited evidence available at the time.
Currently women in New Zealand can cryopreserve and store ovarian tissue, but are unable to use it in New Zealand. ACART has reviewed recent evidence and considered the risks, benefits and ethical issues associated with the use of cryopreserved ovarian tissue to restore ovarian function. ACART is proposing that the use of cryopreserved ovarian tissue to restore ovarian function should become an established procedure.