The world's population is constantly growing, which growth is not balanced. Negative demographic changes can be observed in Hungary and in the developed world, which represent a time bomb from a social and economic point of view. The situation presents political decisionmakers and professionals working in all fields of reproduction with a serious task.
A healthy, fertile couple in their mid-20s who have regular sex has a 1 in 4 chance of conceiving a child each month. This means that 8-9 out of 10 couples get pregnant within a year. We speak of infertility if pregnancy does not occur within a year, despite a regular, contraceptive-free sex life that encourages the child. After a year of unsuccessful attempts, the couple's infertility
examination is deemed justified. About two-thirds of them are subfertile, meaning they can conceive a child with the help of some medical treatment. In Hungary, the total number of married couples with infertility problems reaches 15% of the population, of course not all of them are justified in IVF treatment.
In practice, the public equates infertility treatment with in vitro fertilization (IVF), although the point is that the least burdensome and at the same time the most effective method must be selected individually for each patient. In a modern infertility center, it is necessary to strive for the highest possible quality of examination and possible surgical treatment of patients, and for those who are really in need of IVF treatment, the intervention should have the lowest possible risk and the greatest success. Another problem is that many people reject unnatural insemination for religious reasons; they must be provided with ethically acceptable examination and treatment options.
In Hungary, the in vitro fertilization (IVF) program started in Pécs in 1988, as a result of which the first Hungarian test tube baby was born ten years later than the world leader. The child was born at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Medical
University of Pécs. This success in itself is of great importance and to this day gives great impetus to the treatment of infertile patients. After the first successful intervention, thanks to continuous research and innovation, the most modern methods were introduced and used in clinical practice, which significantly increased efficiency. In addition, the maximum protection of the embryo was implemented in daily clinical practice! The establishment of the National Laboratory on Human Reproduction, in addition to the recognition of the patient care and research activities up to now, opens a new dimension for the institution that determines human reproduction, for society and for the sciences.

Prof. Dr. József Bódis