Infertility is a problem for the couple and evaluation of the couple is
preferable in a clinic where both males and females may be seen
together. The contribution to care by the urologist and the
gynaecologist each with an interest in infertility is different but
complementary. My appreciation of this was sharpened between 1976 and
1985 during my association with the World Health Organization's Spe-
cial Programme of Research Development and Research Training in Human
Reproduction at the meetings of the Steering Committee of its Task Force
on Infertility. The deliberations of this group were aimed at developing
a protocol for investigation of the infertile couple and it became
apparent to me as a gynaecologist how important is the precise
characterization of the male partner's role to the formulation of the
management plan for the infertile couple. To improve the quality of our
evaluation of the male partner our techni- cal staff were trained in the
semen methodology of the laboratory of Dr F Com- haire of Ghent and we
were joined by Dr CLR Barratt, male reproductive biologist. It seemed
appropriate to share our enthusiasm for clinical andrology, so after
discussion with Dr Comhaire and Professor T Glover, an eminent male
reproductive biologist, then of Brisbane, who planned a sabbatical to
his native was arranged for 1 and 2 May 1986. Professor Glover en-
Yorkshire, a meeting of the meeting.