[The urologist's role in assisted reproductive technology (ART)].

Overview

BACKGROUND: Following on from the Rapport vers une stratégie nationale de lutte contre l'infertilité (Report on a national strategy to combat infertility) submitted to the French Minister of Health in 2022, whose objective 13 is: to better identify and diagnose male infertility, we wanted to clarify with reproductive specialists what role the urologist should play in the management of the infertile couple. METHODS: An expert consensus was reached with the Pedagogical Committee and pilots of the Transversal Specialized Training in Reproductive Medicine and Biology - Andrology, and with the presidents, board and scientific council of the French Federation for Reproductive Study (FFER). RESULTS: In the case of infertility in a couple, the fertility of both partners should be assessed from the outset, and in the event of abnormality or failure of ART, the patient should be referred to a uro-andrologist for expert management. The uro-andrologist will set up medical or surgical treatments to improve the prognosis of the man's fertility, in conjunction with the entire ART team. It is also important for the urologist/andrologist to take charge of the man's health before conception, because of the benefits for the patient himself and for his offspring. CONCLUSION: This expert consensus has shed light on the role of the uro-andrologist in the ART pathway, on the need for training in Andrology and on the medical demography required.