Our knowledge of reproductive medicine has expanded rapidly since the birth of Louise Brown, the first baby to be conceived by in vitro fertilization, which was performed by Professors Steptoe and Ed wards in Bourn Hall, England, in 1978. Hardly a year goes by without the development of a new or the modification of an existing method of assisted reproduction. Within a relatively short period, in vitro fertilization has been introduced into the treatment of female infertility. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection has also created new opportunities for the treatment of male infertility. This manual takes stock of the techniques of assisted reproduc tion that are available today. Competent authors from various centers present, in a concise way, their tried-and-tested procedures, so that the latter can be readily implemented. Due to different legal regulations, the scope of assisted re production is much more limited in Germany than in many other countries. For example, whereas only three embryos may be con ceived and transferred in Germany, such restrictions do not exist in several other European countries and the United States. Further more, heterologous fertilization, oocyte donation, and surrogate motherhood are banned in Germany. We are glad to have been able to recruit many international ex perts to present the various fields of assisted reproduction from their perspective. We hope this book will help to establish the different therapies and achieve a wide distribution.
