Grace Tobin

Jul 7, 2024 | abc.net.au | Grace Tobin

Sex tourism is big business in the Philippines. But the consequences are long-term. Foreign men – including from Australia and New Zealand – are estimated to have fathered tens of thousands of children to local sex workers. Now, a trailblazing Australian-led project, is using DNA samples from these children to track down their sex-tourist fathers and demand child support.

Jul 3, 2024 | abc.net.au | Grace Tobin |Janelle Miles

In short: A Queensland fertility clinic has been asked by a state health ombudsman to destroy semen specimens due to possible errors. Patients say the company needs to be more transparent about the processes. What's next? The Queensland government introduced legislation in June to regulate the assisted reproduction industry in the state.

Jun 27, 2024 | abc.net.au | Grace Tobin |Lesley Robinson

Maria thought she was doing the right thing by connecting with the sperm donor she used to conceive her baby through fertility giant Monash IVF. "I had joined some forums when my son was born, there was a particular group who advocated for children knowing the donor as soon as possible," Maria said. "That's why I decided to make contact."To begin with, the donor's emails to Maria (not her real name) were friendly and harmless. But things took a sinister turn in January this year.

Jun 24, 2024 | abc.net.au | Grace Tobin |Lesley Robinson |Katri Uibu

Amelia Hawkshaw and her husband Zach Longe's round of IVF produced 17 embryos. Seventeen chances to make their dream of becoming parents come true. "We were so overjoyed," Amelia said. But that dream turned to tragedy in August last year. "We got a call … to say that the embryos had been contaminated with bacteria and so those 17 had to be destroyed, just all of them," Amelia said.

Jun 23, 2024 | abc.net.au | Grace Tobin

A Four Corners investigation has found serious problems within Australia's fertility industry - with a disturbing lack of accountability and transparency by corporate IVF clinics when things go wrong. The peak body and regulator has now announced a major review of governance and standards within the sector. The review aims to establish uniform national laws to replace over 30 different pieces of legislation currently governing the lucrative industry.