[In vitro fertilisation during 40 years]

Abstract

In Denmark, IVF was established at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen and resulted in the first birth in 1983. The world's first oocyte retrieval by ultrasound was developed here in 1982. In 1986, the Danish Health Authority recommended IVF to be included as a medical therapy for infertility, and over the years treatments in the public sector has accounted for around half of the activity. In 2019, the annual number of assisted reproductive technology cycles in Denmark reached 21,948, among the highest utilisation rates worldwide, and contributed 7.3% of the annual number of Danish newborns, with a twinning rate of 2-4%%. These facts are summarised in this review.