ASRM: Practice Committee Reports

Practice Committee Reports:

Guidelines, Statements and Opinions
of the ASRM Practice Committee

Committee Opinions | Technical Bulletins
Educational Bulletins | Position Statements
Guidelines and Minimum Standards
Joint Reports (written with other societies)

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These guidelines have been developed to assist physicians with clinical decisions regarding the care of their patients. They are not intended to be a protocol to be applied in all situations, and cannot substitute for the individual judgment of the treating physicians based on their knowledge of their patients and specific circumstances. The recommendations in these guidelines may not be the most appropriate approach for all patients. Medical science and ethics are constantly changing, and clinicians should not rely solely on these guidelines. Practice Committee documents become operational at the time of publication.

Some ASRM Practice Committee Reports are archived in PDF format and may be viewed with a free Adobe®Acrobat® Reader. If you do not have an Adobe Reader or do not know how to view or print a PDF file, please go to this page. Some of these files will take extra time to download.

Committee Opinions:

A Committee Opinion offers consensus-based (or evidence-based when there is sufficient evidence available) guidance relative to a given practice activity. This guidance, in addition to scientific and clinical information, may take into account issues of ethical and financial concerns.

Definition of "experimental procedures"
published November 2008; revised November 2009
Optimizing natural fertility
published November 2008
Definitions of infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss
published November 2008; revised September 2008
Salpingectomy for hydrosalpinx prior to in vitro fertilization
published November 2008; revised August 2008
Essential elements of informed consent for elective oocyte cryopreservation: a Practice Committee opinion
re published November 2008; originally published October 2007
Preimplantation genetic testing: a Practice Committee opinion
re published November 2008; originally published October 2007
Pathogenesis, consequences, and control of peritoneal adhesions in gynecologic surgery
re published November 2008; originally published July 2007
Anti-phospholipid antibodies do not affect IVF live birth
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Blastocyst culture and transfer in clinical-assisted reproduction
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
The clinical utility of sperm DNA integrity testing
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Genetic considerations related to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Increased maternal cardiovascular mortality associated with pregnancy in women with Turner syndrome
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
The menopausal transition
published November 2008; revised January 2008
Ovarian tissue and oocyte cryopreservation
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Repetitive oocyte donation
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
The role of assisted hatching in in vitro fertilization. A review of the literature. A Committee opinion
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Round spermatid nucleus injection (ROSNI)
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Aging and infertility in women
published November 2006; under revision
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and recurrent spontaneous pregnancy loss
published November 2006; under revision
Optimal evaluation of the infertile female
published November 2006; under revision
Use of clomiphene citrate in women
published November 2006; under revision

Technical Bulletins:

A Technical Bulletin is a brief presentation of a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure, with selected references from the literature.

Use of exogenous gonadotropins in anovulatory women: a technical bulletin
published November 2008
Evaluation of the azoospermic male
published November 2008; revised August 2008
Vasectomy reversal
published November 2008; revised August 2008
Correct coding for laboratory procedures during assisted reproductive technology cycles
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Medical treatment of ectopic pregnancy
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Sperm retrieval for obstructive azoospermia
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008

Educational Bulletins:

An Educational Bulletin is a review of the literature on a subject of clinical importance. It differs from the evidence-based guideline in that it is used when inadequate data of high quality prohibits objective comparisons and clinical recommendations.

Gonadotropin preparations: past, present, and future perspectives
published November 2008
Obesity and reproduction: an educational bulletin
published November 2008
Androgen deficiency in the aging male
published November 2008; revised August 2008
Estrogen and progestogen therapy in postmenopausal women
published November 2008; revised August 2008
Hormonal contraception: recent advances and controversies
published November 2008; revised August 2008
Interpretation of clinical trial results
published November 2008; revised August 2008
The management of infertility due to obstructive azoospermia
published November 2008; revised August 2008
Myomas and reproductive function
published November 2008; revised August 2008
Use of insulin-sensitizing agents in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome
published November 2008; revised August 2008
Current evaluation of amenorrhea
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Hepatitis and reproduction
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Indications and options for endometrial ablation
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
The role of tubal reconstructive surgery in the era of assisted reproductive technologies
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Smoking and infertility
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Treatment of pelvic pain associated with endometriosis
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Effectiveness and treatment for unexplained infertility
published November 2006; under revision
Endometriosis and infertility
published November 2006; under revision
Multiple pregnancy associated with infertility therapy
published November 2006; under revision

Position Statements:

A Position Statement is a brief declaration regarding the status of a practice or procedure, based on committee opinion.

Position statement on nurses performing focused ultrasound examinations in a gynecology/infertility setting
revised February 2009
Progesterone supplementation during the luteal phase and in early pregnancy in the treatment of infertility: an educational bulletin
re published November 2008; originally published April 2008
Indications for Fragile X Mental Retardation-1 (FMR-1) Genetic Testing
published February 2008
American Society for Reproductive Medicine/Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology position statement on West Nile virus
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology position statement on donor suitability of recipients of smallpox vaccine (vaccinia virus)
published November 2008; reviewed June 2008

Guidelines and Minimum Standards:

A Guideline presents a recommended approach to evaluation or treatment but is not intended to describe the only approved standard of practice or to dictate an exclusive course of treatment.

Guidelines on number of embryos transferred
republished November 2008; revised November 2009
2008 Guidelines for gamete and embryo donation: a Practice Committee report
published November 2008; revised September 2008
Guidelines for development of an emergency plan for in vitro fertilization programs
republished November 2008; originally published April 2008
Guidelines for reducing the risk of viral transmission during fertility treatment
republished November 2008; originally published April 2008
Revised guidelines for human embryology and andrology laboratories
published November 2008; revised June 2008
Revised minimum standards for practices offering assisted reproductive technologies
republished November 2008; reviewed June 2008
Vaccination guidelines for female infertility patients
republished November 2008; reviewed June 2008

Joint Reports:

Joint Reports are collaborations between the ASRM and other medical societies to create documents of importance to the field of reproductive medicine. These reports are intended to provide medical practitioners with a consensus of principles and strategies for the care of couples, and are based on current professional literature, clinical experience and expert opinion.