Barrenness vanquished: the legacy of Lesley Brown

Abstract

Prior to 1978, the therapeutic offerings available to couples afflicted with infertility were painfully limited. Indeed, there was precious little one could offer Lesley and John Brown in their desperation. Anovulatory infertility was managed with ovulation induction using Clomiphene Citrate and Human Menopausal Gonadotropins. Anatomic infertility was addressed by increasingly sophisticated if marginally effective microsurgical approaches. The therapy of male infertility, still in its infancy, was commonly handled through cervical or intrauterine insemination including the use of donor sperm. The road traveled by Mrs. Brown radically altered this hope-limited landscape. A trailblazer to the millions who followed, Mrs. Brown played a key role in the abolition of the scourge of infertility. In this communication we trace in some detail the singular story of Mrs. Lesley Brown and the all-important legacy thereof. In doing so, we wish to pay tribute to this remarkable individual and her contributions to one of the most compelling scientific and medical breakthroughs of the 20th century.

Keywords::

• Infertility
• barrenness
• in vitro fertilization
• IVF

Acknowledgements

We are most grateful to Mrs Brown’s family for allowing us to use the picture of Mrs Lesley Brown with Louise.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no declarations of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.