In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a common infertility treatment procedure that has revolutionized the way families are created. Developed less than 50 years ago, IVF involves fertilizing an egg with sperm outside the body and then placing the fertilized embryo back into the body, resulting in thousands of successful births in the U.S. each year. In February 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court ruling brought attention to frozen embryos created through IVF, defining them as children under state law and halting procedures until a protective law was passed in March. Women have played a significant role in the development of IVF, with pioneers like Miriam Menkin, Jean Purdy, and Georgeanna Jones paving the way for the success of this treatment.
Miriam Menkin, working with Harvard gynecologist Dr. John Rock in the late 1930s to 1950s, played a crucial role in determining how fertilization occurs in women, leading to the first successful IVF experiment in 1944. Menkin’s work in retrieving eggs from women undergoing surgery and fertilizing them outside the body was instrumental in the development of IVF. Jean Purdy, the research assistant and technician for British researchers Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe, also made significant contributions to the field of IVF, leading to the birth of the first IVF baby, Louise Brown, in 1978. Despite the skepticism surrounding IVF at the time, Purdy worked tirelessly to achieve this groundbreaking success.
Georgeanna Jones, a reproductive endocrinologist who worked alongside her husband Howard Jones, became a key figure in the development of IVF in the U.S. Jones’ dedication to solving the problem of infertility led to the birth of Elizabeth Carr, the first baby born in the U.S. via IVF in 1981. Other women pioneers in IVF during the 1980s included Anne Colston Wentz and PonJola Coney, who also made significant contributions to the field. These women were instrumental in advancing IVF as a viable treatment option for couples struggling with infertility.
Elizabeth Carr, the first baby born via IVF in the U.S., has become a patient advocate, speaking out about the importance of IVF and the need to protect access to this treatment. Carr’s own journey as an IVF baby has inspired her to advocate for greater insurance coverage and care access for infertility treatments. As IVF continues to be a highly effective treatment for infertility, Carr hopes to see national protection for IVF, ensuring that individuals and couples from all walks of life have access to this life-changing procedure.
IVF has had a profound impact on the field of reproductive medicine, offering hope to millions of families who are struggling with infertility. Women pioneers like Miriam Menkin, Jean Purdy, and Georgeanna Jones have played essential roles in the development of IVF, paving the way for successful births and creating a pathway for families to have children when traditional methods have failed. Their dedication and pioneering spirit have left a lasting legacy, shaping the field of infertility treatment and allowing countless individuals to realize their dreams of parenthood through IVF.
