Human reproduction is a basic function for the maintenance of the species. That is why their interest goes back to the beginning of civilizations, since the problems to be able to reproduce are as old as the humans themselves.

In the 20th century, the first advances in the management and treatment of couples with difficulty reproducing began, and work began on the study of reproductive endocrinology, the use of drugs to aid ovulation and sperm count. All these advances culminated in 1978, when the first girl was born after the in vitro fertilization of an egg and sperm and its subsequent intrauterine transfer.

This was a historic milestone for medicine and society and also the beginning of today's reproductive medicine, which goes beyond addressing and treating the reproductive problems of infertile couples. The application of reproductive medicine to non-sterile couples is facilitating the emergence of new family models (single-parent families, children in homosexual couples, children in elderly women), including children born to cure siblings. Today, reproductive medicine is also intended to be a preventive medicine in which cases at risk of future reproductive problems are detected early, as well as contributing to reducing the risk of serious birth defects.

Coordinators. Antonio Pellicer Martinez. CU Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology. University of Valencia and President of the Group of the Valencian Institute of Infertility (IVI). José A. Remohí Giménez. CU Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology. University of Valencia and co-director of the Valencian Institute of Infertility (IVI). Pilar Alamá is a medical specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Dr. Peset Hospital in Valencia and director of the Egg Donation Programme of the Valencian Institute of Infertility (IVI).