When a fertility specialist attempts to aid a couple in becoming parents, one of the first reproductive technologies turned to involves shortening the trip sperm normally must take en route to the egg. Artificial insemination accomplishes this by positioning sperm as close to the fallopian tubes as possible. There, if the timing is right, a ripened egg should be waiting.

A Long History

The concept of artificial insemination-that is, the introduction of sperm into a woman's body by means other than sexual intercourse-has a long history, although its widespread use in humans is fairly recent. Not until the latter half of the twentieth century, when new preservation techniques allowed sperm to be stored for later use and procedures for determining when a woman's fertility was at its peak were developed, did artificial insemination become a widely...