What Is Your Fertility and Who Is Behind It?

Updated

Your Fertility (yourfertility.org.au) is an Australian national public education program about fertility. It is run by the Fertility Coalition and funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and the Victorian Government Department of Health. Its stated purpose is to give people evidence-based information on improving the chance of pregnancy and having a healthy baby. Because it is a government-funded education program rather than a clinic, it is a place to learn and check your own situation, not a source of personal medical advice or treatment.

What the site covers

The homepage groups its guidance into five areas:

  • Timing — when in the menstrual cycle conception is most likely
  • Age — how age affects fertility
  • Drugs and chemicals — exposures that can harm fertility
  • Health and medical — health conditions and medical factors
  • Healthy eating and exercise — lifestyle influences on fertility

There is also a men's fertility focus: for Fertility Week 2022 the program highlighted what men and gender-diverse people can do to protect and improve their fertility.

Interactive tools you can use

The site offers two tools that turn the general information into something specific to you:

  1. Ovulation calculator — the site states that the best time to conceive is during the "fertile window" of the menstrual cycle; the calculator helps you identify your most fertile time. You enter details about your cycle and get an estimated window back.
  2. Healthy conception tool — you enter your details and it shows where you could make changes to improve your chances of pregnancy.

Both are self-assessment aids. They flag areas to discuss with a health professional; they do not diagnose anything.

A reality check on fertility knowledge

The site cites a 2012 telephone survey of Australians aged 18 to 45 who want a child (now or in the future): more than 40% did not know that smoking and obesity significantly reduce fertility. That gap is the reason the program exists, and it is also a useful prompt — if you are planning a pregnancy, the basics (smoking, weight, timing, age) are worth checking before assuming everything is fine. The site also offers a short fertility quiz if you want to test your own knowledge first.

Who it is for

The content is written for people in Australia who are thinking about having a baby, now or later, and for the teachers and health workers who support them. Sexual Health Victoria, working with VARTA and Your Fertility, has published classroom resources on assisted reproduction and fertility for teachers. The program also partners with campaigns such as Women's Health Week.

If you are outside Australia, the general information still applies, but the funding, referral context and any local services mentioned are Australian.

How to use it well

Start with the topic that matches your situation — timing if you are actively trying, age or health and medical if you are planning ahead — then run the relevant interactive tool. Treat the output as a prompt for a conversation with your GP or a fertility specialist, especially if you have been trying for a while or have a known health condition. The site is an education program, so it explains mechanisms and risk factors; it does not replace individual clinical assessment.