Who and What We Are

In 1989, American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) opened a Public Affairs Office in Washington, DC, in response to growing government involvement in health care. 

Since then, the Washington Office has grown to include both government relations and public relations functions. As a result, the Washington Office was renamed the Office of Public Affairs in 1995, and then in 2003, named the J. Benjamin Younger Office of Public Affairs in honor of the late ASRM Executive Director, J. Benjamin Younger, M.D., who was instrumental in launching the office in 1989 during his term as ASRM President. 

ASRM established the Washington Office so that the collective voice of our members resonates on Capitol Hill, at state government levels, and in the media. 

The J. Benjamin Younger Office of Public Affairs conducts the following activities on behalf of ASRM members:

Government Relations

ASRM advocates on behalf of members and patients, focusing on advancing state and federal legislation and regulations. ASRM works to pass legislation and advance policy changes at every level of government. ASRM staff and physician leaders meet with government officials to provide input on legislative and regulatory issues that affect the delivery of quality and access to reproductive medicine. To this end, the J. Benjamin Younger Office of Public Affairs:

• Works with lawmakers, their staff, and regulatory bodies to advance the practice of reproductive medicine
• Monitors, researches, tracks, and analyzes state and federal legislation and regulations related to ASRM members and their practices in all 50 states and the District of Columbia
• Encourages ASRM members to use their voices to advocate
• Participates in coalitions with other medical societies and associations to advance reproductive medicine and access to care for patients.
• Represents the ASRM at the American Medical Association
• Serves as an educational resource to legislators and the public