What are the statistics for Assisted Reproductive Treatments in
Australia. Specifically I want to know what the increase has been over
the past ten or so years, ie. how many people were seeking assisted
reproductive treatments in 1990 compared with 2003 (or 2000/01/02 if
current are not yet published). Further to this, what are the median
ages of people seeking treatments in 1990 and now, or 2000.

The source for these statistics is the National Perinatal Statistics
Unit (http://www.npsu.unsw.edu.au/). They maintain several databases
and have an active publishing programme. However, many of their older
reports are not available online, and database queries are subject to
a charge. See http://www.npsu.unsw.edu.au/ContactUs.htm. I hope that
what is available via their website (summarised below) answers your
question.

According to a recent report "Assisted conception Australia and New
Zealand 1999 and 2000" (http://www.npsu.unsw.edu.au/ac6high.htm) there
have been notable flucuations in the use of particular technologies,
but "between 1992 and 2000, the total number of treatment cycles
(oocyte retrievals and embryo
transfers) for all types of assisted conception increased each year.
In 1992, there were 16,288 cycles, increasing to 21,739 in 1996, and
27,067 in 2000." And "the overall viable pregnancy rate for all
assisted conceptions increased annually from 13.0 in 1992 to 17.9 in
2000."

(The report does not indicate the number of patients seeking
treatment, using instead the number of treatment cycles and viable
pregnancy rates.)

The most recent published figures for parental age seem to be from
2000. The same report cited above states "Women seeking assisted
conception ranged in age from 19 to 53 years of age, with a median age
of 33 years." Earlier reports are available only as summaries, and
there is no indication of parental ages in any of these.

Search strategy: "assisted reproduction" Australia statistics