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History of the ISFP
In the early 1990s, interest in fertility preservation was on the rise, coinciding with advances in cancer treatment and rapid progress in assisted reproductive technologies.
In particular, development of novel human ovarian tissue transplantation techniques opened the door to various lines of research and clinical applications. This paved the
way for the first live birth after autotransplantation of human ovarian tissue reported by Professor Donnez’s group in 2004 and fueled further interest in the field of fertility
preservation, leading to a marked increase in publications and meetings on the subject. Having planted the seed, pioneers in the field started to think seriously about creating a scientific society dedicated to fertility preservation.
In 2007, Professor Donnez and Professor Kim founded this new society after thoughtful consideration and extended discussion, inviting 15 leaders in reproductive medicine from three continents (five each) to join the board of directors.
The launch of the International Society for Fertility Preservation (ISFP) was announced in September 2007 at the fertility preservation symposium held in Boston. Participants at the first board meeting in Boston (Roger Gosden, Pedro Barri, Pasquale Patrizio, Tommaso Falcone, Jacques Donnez, and Samuel Kim) agreed to incorporate the ISFP in Kansas, USA, as a 503(c) non-profit organization, while Professor Donnez was elected first president of the society.
Under the leadership of Professor Donnez, the society evolved into the preeminent organization advocating fertility preservation, and the first ISFP congress in Brussels in 2009 was hailed a great success. After this first triumph, it was decided to hold biennial ISFP congresses to broaden our existing knowledge, share new research angles, and educate medical professionals as well as the general public.
All ISFP congresses to date have been lauded for their high scientific quality, which has helped to consolidate the international reputation of the ISFP. Unsurprisingly, membership has steadily grown and currently includes more than 1,300 associates from all continents around the globe.
