SARS-CoV-2 and Assisted Reproductive Technology Practice: An Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE) Position Paper

ASPIRE (Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction) aims to improve knowledge and awareness of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and infertility-related services, with the aim of improving the quality of patient care. A survey was developed and responded by a group of ten ASPIRE board members to gather in-depth information about current practices, recommendations, and perceptions about SARS-CoV-2 and ART. The collected data were summarized and individual responses pooled among questions requiring voting. The overall rates were computed by response category. The group discussed the summary evidence, until a consensus was reached concerning a series of recommendations on how to make decisions concerning ART services provision during the current (and any future) pandemic. A two-tier recommendation was developed based on agreement rate and implementation priority. Tier 1 comprises recommendations in which the rate of ‘absolutely agree’ responses were ≥60%, whereas tier 2 refers to recommendations in which the rate of ‘absolutely agree’ plus ‘agree’ was >60%, but the rate of ‘absolutely agree’ was ≤50%. The survey was responded by all participants between 24 and 30 July 2020. Nine tier 1 and five tier 2 recommendations are provided concerning prevention, testing, personal protective equipment, informed consent, and quality management. The former indicates the situations in which most individuals should receive the intervention/procedure, whereas the latter relates to those that may be suitable for individual clinics and patients. This document provides the ASPIRE viewpoint on better managing infertile patients seeking ART during the COVID-19 pandemic. This expert opinion guide aims to help both competent authorities and health care providers to deliver quality and safe ART.

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Authors and Institutions:

Budi Wiweko1, Tuong M. Ho2 , Rong Li3 , Tin-Chiu Li4 , Chii-Ruey Tzeng5 , Gab Kovacs6 , Atsushi Tanaka7 , Jung Ryeol Lee8 , Hrishikesh Pai9 , Haroon Latif Khan10 , on behalf of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE).

1 Department Obstetric Gynecology Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia – Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
2 IVFMD, My Duc Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
3 Department of OB & GYN, Reproductive Medical Center, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
5 Taipei Fertility Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
6 Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
7 Saint Mother hospital & Juntendo University, Japan
8 Department Obstetric Gynecology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea
9 Medical director, Lilavati Hospital IVF and Bloom IVF Group India
10 Lahore Institute of fertility and endocrinology, Hameed Latif hospital, Lahore, Pakistan

Correspondence: Prof. Budi Wiweko, budiwiweko@gmail.com

In addition to helping patients, reproductive medicine practices are uniquely positioned to gather data and help to further COVID-19 research.

Slide kit COVID-19 and Assisted Reproductive Technology: repercussions for patients and proposal for individualized clinical management

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ASPIRE is gathering global COVID-19 case reporting on the outcome of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) conceived pregnancies in women with a confirmed infection

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