ABSTRACT
This chapter describes briefly how assisted conception developed from the early days of 1978 to the present, recognising the efforts made to move this from an experimental treatment to a very complex and successful treatment and offers infertile couples realistic opportunities for having their own baby. Assisted conception or assisted reproductive technology refers to a range of treatments from the moderately simple intrauterine insemination to the complex in vitro fertilisation with blastocyst transfer. Assisted conception or assisted reproduction treatments range from intrauterine insemination to in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer to in vitro fertilisation by intracytoplasmic injection and embryo transfer. The indications for intrauterine insemination include unexplained infertility, minor endometriosis, ovulatory disorders and mild sperm dysfunction. The complications of treatment are multiple pregnancy, ovarian hyperstimulation treatment and using the wrong sperm for insemination. The sperm samples, after screening for infections, are mixed with cryoprotectant, cooled slowly and plunged into liquid nitrogen.
