Innovative reproductive technologies: risks and responsibilities

In view of the global burden of subfertility, efforts are required to make assisted reproduction more effective, less burdensome and more equally accessible. New reproductive technologies are frequently introduced in clinical practice without a sound evaluation of their efficacy, effectiveness and/or safety. Safety issues in this context refer both to patients (mostly women) undergoing the relevant medical procedures, and to the health of children born as a result. Responsible innovation requires making potentially risky reproductive technologies the subject of research, ideally proceeding through the steps of preclinical investigations, clinical trials and (long-term) follow-up studies. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology is especially equipped to take the lead here.