The Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society Releases Clinical Practice Guidelines on Assisted Reproduction to the Public

OTTAWA, June 30, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS) announced today that it will for the first time make all clinical practice guidelines on the practice of assisted reproduction in Canada available and accessible to the general public.  This decision is consistent with our values of providing transparency and leadership in the field of Assisted Reproduction in Canada.  In the past, guidelines have remained available only to members of the CFAS, who are professionals specializing in infertility and assisted reproduction.    The CFAS will provide access to guidelines in both official languages and will further draft plain language summaries of each guideline, if necessary, to make them more accessible to ‎lay readers

The significance of the CFAS decision underscores our commitment to promoting enhanced access to quality fertility treatment across Canada and to providing useful resources for our practising members.  In doing so, we help create a transparent environment that fosters consistency and excellence in assisted reproductive care through access to the best available evidence and research in a field that is rapidly evolving.  The CFAS publishes guidelines using a rigorous, balanced, and evidenced-based approach that involves reproductive health specialists from across the country.  All CFAS members, including physicians, scientists, ethicists, lawyers and allied health professionals are invited to provide input into guideline development.  The goal in publishing these guidelines for the public is to further our role in enhancing access to the highest quality fertility treatment in Canada.

Guidelines produced by the CFAS are aimed at improving outcomes and promoting health and safety of patients receiving fertility care and the children born of these treatments.  Recent publications include:

• Guidelines for Third Party Reproduction (CFAS 2016)
• Guidelines on Fertility Preservation in Reproductive Age Woman Facing Gonadotoxic Treatments (CFAS 2014)
• Guidelines on Management of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (CFAS 2013)
• Guidelines on the Number of Embryos Transferred (CFAS 2013)

New Clinical Guideline published on Third Party Reproduction:

Today, the CFAS announces the publication of a new guideline on Third Party Reproduction.  Third Party Reproduction refers to all cases of human reproduction that involve the use of gametes (sperm, oocytes), embryos, or gestation from a third party for the purposes of reproduction by the intended parent(s).  Third party reproduction is governed by federal legislation in Canada, the Assisted Human Reproduction Act (AHR Act), which was proclaimed, in part, on March 29, 2004. This Guideline is intended to help clinics comply with laws and to navigate infectious disease screening. For the public, the Guideline means greater access to knowledge about the process of third party reproduction.  The Guideline is accessible on the CFAS website at www.cfas.ca/guidelines/

About the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS)

The CFAS is a multidisciplinary national non-profit Society that serves as the voice of reproductive specialists, scientists, and allied health professionals working in the field of Assisted Reproduction in Canada.  Celebrating its 62nd year, the mission of the CFAS is to responsibly advance reproductive science and medicine in Canada through leadership, research and guidance. Through its 700 multidisciplinary membership, the CFAS aims to promote excellence in the field of Assisted Reproduction to the benefit of Canadians and children born of this technology.

SOURCE Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS)

CFAS Executive Director Mark Evans at 514 524-9009 (telephone) or 613-869-4396 (cell).