Dear Friends

Today it is possible to make the dreams of thousands of couples trying to have a baby of their own come true, bypassing significant conception hurdles. In a time when subfertility problems keep rising and fertility rates in the western world are in decline, scientific research has brought about a revolution with the development of Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ART), offering us the ability to treat the majority of subfertility cases.

Until now more than 1.5 million children have been born with this method worldwide.

This website intends to present the scientific background on issues related with human reproduction and ART in simple terms. For practical reasons it has been divided in two parts: a short one and a more extensive one. The following sections will provide a comprehensive overview of the anatomy and function of the female reproductive system, the physiological procedure of conception, causes of subfertility and recent methods for their diagnosis and treatment.

Increasing amounts of information on the physiology of reproduction, embryology, reproductive endocrinology, laparoscopy and hysteroscopy provide new ways of infertility treatment. At the same time, the rapid evolution of technological equipment and the dramatic development of applied methods lead to a spectacular rise of pregnancy success rates in ART programs worldwide.

Couples who are interested or about to begin ART treatment can find answers to most frequently asked questions regarding human reproduction, drugs, and concerns on the safety of the mother and the baby. You can also find useful information on the role of hysteroscopy and laparoscopy in the treatment of infertility, as well as the recent scientific advancements in the field of ART.

I believe that the availability of information to the couple regarding fertility problems and possible ways of facing them must be complete and continuous. Knowledge substitutes the fear of the unknown and allows the couple to actively participate in their own infertility treatment.

I hope this website makes a small but significant contribution to the understanding of infertility.

I wish to thank my colleagues for their valuable help in the making of this manual and for their never-ending support and effort in the personal struggle of the couples who continue to put their trust in our capable hands.

Tryfon G. Lainas MD, PhD
Clinical director of Eugonia (Iatriki Erevna) IVF Unit