Who Invented Artificial Insemination for Humans?

Artificial insemination, which is the impregnation of female with sperm through some means other than copulation, is not new. However, like many practices that have been shaped through human history, there have been many contributions and contributors to artificial insemination. It's therefore difficult to choose a single mother or father of the idea.

History

Artificial insemination, as an idea, has been around since the 1700s. Experiments were conducted with plants and animals, and by the 1800s, artificial insemination was being used on a variety of farms. This allowed the impregnation of many females, though only one male might have been needed to provide the semen. It was only natural scientific curiosity that led artificial insemination from animals to humans.

Steps

In 1884, the first recorded sperm donor allowed a couple to have a child. Other milestones include the idea of in vitro fertilization being proposed in a New England medical journal in 1937, reports of donor sperm being used in England in 1945 and four pregnancies being reported through the use of donor sperm in 1955.

Modern Artificial Insemination

Many scientists throughout the world and throughout time have contributed to advancing artificial insemination. Robert Edwards, however, is one of the more prominent modern scientists connected with the practice. Involved in the creation of the first "test tube" baby, Edwards published an article in 1969 in the periodical "Nature" about artificially fertilizing human eggs.

Varieties

Many techniques have developed that fall under the umbrella of artificial insemination. The use of donor sperm, the use of a spouse's sperm and even a blending of the two have all been used. Also, there are processes that put the semen directly into a woman's uterus or her cervix. There has also been progress in many related fields, such as the menstrual cycle, the sperm count of the donor and health issues associated with all parties involved that have helped advance artificial insemination. The people involved in those fields also deserve credit for the growth of artificial insemination.

Concerns

As with nearly any technology, there are moral and ethical concerns associated with artificial insemination that haven't gone away. While artificial insemination is no longer associated with forced sterilization (a common trend in the early 1900s), there are still issues such as the parenthood of the child, whether lesbian couples should be allowed to use artificial insemination and the question of whether frozen sperm from a loved one should be used after their death. While these concerns have troubled courts and the populace, they're still being hotly debated more than a century after they were created, right alongside the advancing technology of artificial insemination.