Fridae

Lesbians in Victoria, Australia will not have access to fertility treatment under proposed changes to in vitro fertilisation (IVF) guidelines set by Victoria's Infertility Treatment Authority (ITA).

Health Minister John Thwaites said there would be a tight definition in rules allowing lesbians access to treatment, following the bitter debate over "psychologically infertile" women being granted treatment.

Earlier, the ITA said it was considering drafting guidelines allowing women who suffer from "psychological infertility" to use taxpayer-funded IVF programs, reported ninemsm.com.au.

Mr Thwaites then reportedly gave the authority permission to examine the issue and explained that psychological infertility was related to a medical condition known as coital dysfunction, where a person was unable to have penetrative sex.

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks has personally intervened in the debate after news of the move prompted outrage from the Catholic Church, Liberal, National and independent MPs, reported the Australian news site.

According to the Herald Sun, the premier?s comments came as the ITA was forced into an embarrassing clarification of a letter sent last month, claiming Mr Thwaites had already endorsed new IVF guidelines.

The October 1 letter wrongly stated Mr Thwaites had already accepted guidelines covering lesbians and IVF.

The authority has proposed guidelines that would enable women who cannot have sexual intercourse because of psychological problems to be given access to IVF, but does not include lesbians.

Asked whether the proposals would apply to lesbians who had a psychological aversion to sex with men, Premier Steve Bracks told ninemsm.com.au, "I don't agree that they do have that psychological aversion? I think that it has to be clinically proven by a doctor."

And when asked if, by definition, all lesbians were averse to sex with men, Mr Bracks said: "No."

Last year, a landmark Federal Court decision ruled that Victoria could not restrict IVF on the basis of marital status - a ruling now under a High Court challenge.