History and Purpose

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine was founded by a small group of fertility experts who met in Chicago in 1944.  Distinguished members of ASRM have led the development of the field of reproductive medicine.  They were the first physicians to perform many of the standard procedures used by fertility specialists today, including donor insemination and in vitro fertilization; they have developed new approaches to contraception and ovulation induction that are still in use; and they have helped form key legislation and fought for reproductive rights when public policy in reproductive matters did not exist.

Today, ASRM members reside in all 50 of the United States and in over 100 other countries.  The Society is multidisciplinary, with members including obstetrician/gynecologists, urologists, reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists, mental health professionals, internists, nurses, practice administrators, laboratory technicians, pediatricians, research scientists, and veterinarians.  The ASRM has an administrative office in Birmingham, Alabama, and a public affairs office in Washington, D.C.  Policy is set by an elected Board of Directors and implemented by an Executive Director, an Associate Executive Director, and an accomplished staff.

Since 1950, the ASRM has published Fertility and Sterility, a leading peer-reviewed medical journal in obstetrics and gynecology.  Additionally, the Society produces two newsletters, ASRM News and Menopausal Medicine.  Ethical concerns are published regularly by the Society's Ethics Committee.  To provide assistance about diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas, the ASRM Practice Committee also produces timely reports in the form of guidelines, minimum standards, committee opinions, and technical and educational  bulletins.  Also published are the ASRM Patient Education Committee's Patient Information Series booklets and Patient Fact Sheets, which are designed to help the patient understand the complexities of reproductive disorders and their treatment.  In addition, ASRM administers an awards' program designed to foster the development of academic careers and research training.

Legislation and public policy are addressed by the J. Benjamin Younger Office of Public Affairs, which works to make the ASRM's views on reproductive medicine issues known on both state and federal levels.  To date, the Society has been instrumental in supporting the establishment of contraceptive and infertility research centers by the National Institutes of Health and programs that support research in reproductive medicine such as menopause and women's health. Working with both the media and the public, the J. Benjamin Younger Office of Public Affairs has participated in several educational outreach programs to promote better understanding on reproductive issues and practices. 

For more information about the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (formerly The American Fertility Society), please see:                            

FROM THE BEGINNING: A History of the American Fertility Society 1944-1994.  Walter E. Duka, M.S. Alan H. DeCherney, M.D.  Published 1994, The American Fertility Society.  Available for $10.00 from the ASRM.  Please contact the ASRM for purchasing information.