Overview

Even though artificial insemination is a simple technique that has been practiced for over a century, it has long been carried out under poor conditions due to an inadequate understanding of repro- ductive physiology and antagonistic socio-ethical attitudes. Accor- dingly, until fairly recently it was a medical act with a limited scientific basis which was practised more or less clandestinely. The development of semen preservation has totally changed the conditions of artificial insemination, especially in regard to flexibility and safeguards in its application. Although the use of fresh semen continues, it is now clear that the future of arti- ficial insemination is closely linked to semen preservation. During the past two decades, semen banks have been developed in many countries. This has most often been the result of the initiative of individual physicians in either the private or public sectors. In France, a national system of semen banks (CECOS) was begun in 1973. Although there has been cooperation within this system in the areas of both research and management, a need to com- municate and compare experiences with those from other countries was perceived. Thus, the first International Symposium on Artifi- cial Insemination and Semen Preservation was planned and held in Paris, France in April 1979. Thirty-seven countries were represented byihdividuals from many concerned disciplines.