Infertility and the establishment of pregnancy - overview

Anne Templeton, A Templeton
British medical bulletin · 2000 · vol. 56(3) , pp. 577–587 · doi:10.1258/0007142001903283 · PMID:11255546 · W2127368235
review OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 1 in-corpus citation
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-09 ⓘ

This paper reviews the growing awareness of infertility, its prevalence, and the transformative impact of in vitro fertilization and evidence-based approaches on fertility management over the past 20 years.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

The last 20 years has been characterised by an increasing awareness and acceptance of the problems faced by those trying to have children. Infertility affects up to 1 in 7 couples in industrialised countries, and even more couples are affected in some non-industrialised countries. In the West, it appears there has been no major change in prevalence, which is perhaps surprising given the increase in chlamydial infection and the suggestion of a decrease in male fertility, or at least reduction in sperm counts. The United Nations has said reproductive health is a 'state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity in all matters relating to the reproductive system, and to its functions and processes'. In this light, infertility can, therefore, be considered to be a disease process worthy of medical support and treatment. Also during the last 20 years, two major developments have shaped fertility management. These are firstly the increasing availability of m vitro fertilisation (IVF) and related techniques, and secondly a much more critical, evidence-based, approach to management, both investigation and treatment. For the first development, it is always appropriate to acknowledge the pioneering work of Edwards and Steptoe. In vitro fertilisation, like the internal combustion engine, has come a long way since its invention, but it is stdl basically the same technique first used successfully in the late 1970s. FVF and its associated techniques have transformed the likelihood of a pregnancy for many infertile couples, and this in turn has transformed the atmosphere in many infertility clinics, where a mood of gloom and empiricism has been replaced by one of optimism and support. An examination of the evidence underlying modern management will form the basis of much of the rest of this chapter.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

mesh:D004715infertility

MeSH descriptors

Infertility, Female Adolescent Adult Age Factors Anovulation Anovulation Chlamydia Infections Chlamydia Infections Chlamydia Infections Embryo Transfer Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Fertilization in Vitro Humans Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Infertility, Male Infertility, Male

Citation neighborhood (sparse)

Too few in-corpus citations on either side for a chart; here are the lists.

Cites (2)

Cited by (1)

References (22)

Cited by (1)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-06-04T01:30:01.192114+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-13T22:13:24.901228+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK