The fertility field rarely slows down. Clinics are always busy, and labs work late into the night. Research keeps moving forward, one paper and protocol at a time. But sometimes, everyone pauses together. This is one of those times.
Dr. Abraham Albert “Al” Yuzpe died on November 13, 2025. His passing was deeply felt, not just in Canada but around the world, and across many years of medicine that he helped shape.
Calling Dr. Yuzpe influential is true, but it does not say enough. His work changed the way fertility care is practiced. His leadership changed how it is given. His character changed what it feels like to work in this field.
People who knew him best say his legacy is found in textbooks and training programs. But it is also present in everyday conversations, in hallways, and in the quiet confidence of those who learned from Al.
A Life Rooted in Curiosity
Dr. Yuzpe’s path into medicine began long before IVF was a household term and before reproductive endocrinology existed as a defined specialty. After earning a BSc in Biology from Assumption University in 1960, he earned an MD in 1964 and an MSc in 1967 at the University of Western Ontario.
Even back then, colleagues remember how much he loved to ask questions. He was truly curious, not just for show or to protect his own ideas. He wanted to know how things worked and how they could be improved.
As a Medical Research Council of Canada fellow, he studied clomiphene citrate under Dr. Earl Plunkett, a mentor he would later credit repeatedly. From there, he traveled to Uppsala, Sweden, to study follicle-stimulating hormone, when FSH was still largely theoretical in clinical use.
Many doctors research because they have to. Al kept going because he truly wanted to.
After finishing residency in obstetrics and gynecology in Hamilton in 1969, followed by a year of general surgery, he joined the staff at Victoria Hospital and Western. Over time, he rose through the academic ranks, eventually becoming Professor Emeritus in 1995.
But titles never mattered much to him.
“His contributions shaped modern reproductive medicine, but it was his generosity, curiosity, and deep respect for people that shaped everyone lucky enough to work beside him.” - Dr. Andrew Meikle, Founder and Executive Chair, The Fertility Partners.
A Paper That Helped Change Lives
In August 1974, Dr. Yuzpe published a paper in The Journal of Reproductive Medicine that would alter reproductive care worldwide. The regimen described, later known simply as the Yuzpe Method, offered a clear, accessible approach to emergency contraception.
The method was simple and effective. It worked and gave millions of women more choices in their reproductive health.
Dr. Gary Nakhuda, MD, FACOG, Co-Director of Olive Fertility Centre, reflected on its significance with clarity. Published in 1974, he said, the paper was not a clever theory or abstract proposal. It was innovation that was simple, safe, effective, accessible, and profoundly impactful. He noted that if the birth control pill expanded reproductive autonomy in 1960, the Yuzpe Method marked another essential step in female agency.
That achievement alone would have made Dr. Yuzpe a lasting figure in medical history. But he never talked about it like that.
Teaching Surgeons to See Differently
The 1970s were a time of tension in surgical practice. Laparoscopy was controversial. Equipment was primitive. Training was scarce. Many dismissed it outright.
Dr. Yuzpe did not dismiss it.
Alongside colleagues Dr. Jacques Rioux, Dr. Patrick Taylor, and Dr. Victor Gomel, he became one of the first surgeons in Canada to adopt and advance laparoscopic techniques. He published extensively and helped establish the country’s first training courses, effectively teaching an entire generation of surgeons how to offer safer, less invasive care.
Dr. Nakhuda vividly recalled those early days. Al worked with equipment that would seem almost laughable now, peering through an endoscope with one eye while manipulating instruments through narrow channels. When video integration arrived, he embraced it immediately. He pushed the technique forward and brought others with him.
He never called it bravery. He saw it as his responsibility.
IVF and a House Full of History
In 1980, just two years after the world’s first IVF baby, Louise Brown, was born, Dr. Yuzpe hosted a gathering at his home in London, Ontario. The story of that meeting has lasted because it was important.
Around his table sat Dr. Patrick Steptoe and Dr. Robert Edwards from Bourne Hall, Dr. Georgeanna Seegar Jones and Dr. Howard Jones from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Alan Trounson from Monash, and his own mentors and collaborators, including Dr. Earl Plunkett and Dr. David Armstrong.
From then on, assisted reproduction became the main focus of his career.
He would be quick to note that Dr. Rioux founded the first Canadian IVF clinic in Laval, and that the first Canadian IVF baby was born at UBC under Dr. Gomel’s care. Al was precise about credit. He insisted on it.
But being first is not the only way to measure influence.
Building Clinics and Culture
Over the years, Dr. Yuzpe helped establish four IVF clinics, including what would become Olive Fertility Centre in Vancouver. He served as Co-Director and later as Chief Medical Officer of The Fertility Partners.
At Olive, the way people worked together was just as important as the results.
The clinic welcomed patients who had been excluded elsewhere. At a time when fertility care in British Columbia was restricted to married couples, Dr. Yuzpe and his colleagues envisioned something broader and more humane.
Wendy Baker, RN, Coordinator of the Donor Sperm Program at Olive Fertility Centre, recalled that Al and Dr. Margo Fluker vowed the clinic would be welcoming and accessible to anyone wanting to create a family, regardless of gender, sexuality, or relationship status.
That approach became a core value that could not be changed.
He also championed safety in IVF, promoting single-embryo transfer long before it became standard practice, and advocated for public funding years before it was realized.
A Mentor Who Made Space
Dr. Andrew Meikle, Founder and Executive Chair of The Fertility Partners, met Dr. Yuzpe while building the organization’s early vision. When he reached out to Al for feedback, he did not expect what came next.
Al immediately endorsed the idea, Dr. Meikle said, noting that several prominent reproductive endocrinologists had attempted something similar but struggled to agree on structure or leadership. Typical of Al, he offered help in whatever way he could.
Five years later, they had built the largest fertility business in Canada and one of the fastest-growing in the world.
What impressed Dr. Meikle most was not just Dr. Yuzpe’s reputation, but his generosity, curiosity, charm, humour, and passion. He said he is personally indebted to Al for his belief in and trust in him, and that the organization would not exist as it does without him.
The Way He Made People Feel
Ask colleagues what they remember most, and the answers sound strikingly similar.
He remembered everyone’s name. He listened carefully. He noticed when people worked hard. He gave credit to others and always turned away praise.
Dr. Gary Nakhuda spoke of Al’s ability to learn from everyone, regardless of hierarchy. He could be skeptical, even critical, but remained open-minded. He made people feel seen.
When Dr. Nakhuda met him in 2011, he was burning out. Al changed that trajectory. Working beside him reinvigorated his career. Those years became the most meaningful of his professional life.
He said Al was the most loved person he had ever met. When Al walked into a room, everyone noticed him. Still, he showed more kindness than he received in return.
“He made everyone around him feel seen, valued, and capable, long before they believed it themselves.” - Dr. Gary S. Nakhuda, Co-Director, Olive Fertility Centre
The Legacy That Remains
Dr. Yuzpe served at the highest levels of every major professional organization in reproductive medicine, advised governments and global health bodies, and remained active in research while maintaining a full clinical practice.
He received many awards and honors. He accepted them with grace, but always turned the focus back to the work.
What lasts is not only what he created, but also the way he did it.
Thousands of families exist because of his contributions. Thousands of clinicians practice with greater care because he taught them how. And countless professionals found their footing because Al believed in them before they believed in themselves.
People in the fertility community around the world feel his loss deeply.
His influence is still strong and clear.
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