Current practices and controversies in assisted reproduction

Overview

This publication comprises 6 sections, consisting of the background papers and the recommendations agreed to by the meeting participants. The papers are grouped by subject in an order similar to that of the meeting programme but also in a way that the different views are juxtaposed or complementary. Despite the diverse opinions on assisted reproductive technology (ART) voiced at the meeting, there were many points upon which consensus was reached. These are reflected in the corresponding sets of recommendations, which appear in the last section of this report.

These recommendations include some that are directed towards those responsible for health policy, some for those who are concerned with clinical practice and some to the research community. The meeting also agreed on a list of working definitions for ART for the purposes of the meeting’s discussions. These definitions are included as a glossary in the report for consistency and clarity. However, it needs to be emphasized that these are not definitions that have been adopted by WHO, but they can be used to facilitate the standardization of language in the field and in national and international registries.