{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T14:08:25Z","timestamp":1790690905752,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"SMW Supporting Association","issue":"1718","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2012,4,22]],"date-time":"2012-04-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1335052800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Swiss Med Wkly"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Since the  first introduction of hormonal contraception, family planning and procreation  have become increasingly medicalised. The rapid spread of assisted reproductive  technology (ART) is part of this natural development of modern society.  However, in Switzerland  it has caused severe controversy and its use has been framed by a restrictive  legislation since 2001. Despite this, the yearly number of reported treatments  with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)  and with transfer of frozen\/thawed oocytes in the pronucleate stage has risen  to more than 10,000 in 2011. As over time the protocols for ovarian stimulation  have reached higher levels of efficacy and as the composition of the culture  media used for embryo development in the laboratory has become more elaborate,  the implantation rate of the transferred embryos has steadily improved leading  to higher pregnancy rates, but also resulting in a higher risk of multiple  delivery. Deliveries of multiples, including those with twins, often occur  prematurely causing significant maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.  Improved assessment of the developmental potential of embryos together with  better freezing protocols have lead to the selection and transfer of one single  embryo per treatment cycle in an increasing number of countries but not in  Switzerland. This strategy has been shown to be very effective in preventing  multiple deliveries without compromising the overall pregnancy rates. In  addition, well accepted treatment modalities in assisted reproduction, such as  embryo cryopreservation, oocyte donation and preimplantation genetic diagnosis  have not been implemented in Switzerland  due to the current restrictive legislation. The still present ban on  cryopreservation of embryos in Switzerland  now leads to a higher incidence of complications and neonatal death than  necessary in the presence of an adapted legal environment. There is an urgent  need for a public debate about the future role of modern reproductive medicine  in Swiss society. This discussion should focus not only on the risks of ART but  also on its opportunities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4414\/smw.2012.13569","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2012,5,14]],"date-time":"2012-05-14T16:02:49Z","timestamp":1337011369000},"page":"w13569","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Assisted reproductive medicine in Switzerland"],"prefix":"10.57187","volume":"142","author":[{"given":"Christian","family":"De Geyter","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"36756","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,4,22]]},"container-title":["Swiss Medical Weekly"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1470\/1824","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1470\/1825","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1470\/1824","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,15]],"date-time":"2025-08-15T03:43:31Z","timestamp":1755229411000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/view\/1470"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2012,4,22]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1718","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,4,23]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4414\/smw.2012.13569","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-3997"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-3997","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2012,4,22]]}}}