
Jequier, Anne Mary (1936 - 2024)
Asset Name:
E010745 - Jequier, Anne Mary (1936 - 2024)
Title:
Jequier, Anne Mary (1936 - 2024)
Author:
Roger Hart
Identifier:
RCS: E010745
Publisher:
The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Publication Date:
2025-04-09
Subject:
Description:
Obituary for Jequier, Anne Mary (1936 - 2024), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Language:
English
Source:
IsPartOf Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Date of Birth:
15 June 1936
Place of Birth:
London
Date of Death:
6 October 2024
Titles/Qualifications:
MB BS London 1961
FRCS 1967
MRCOG 1969
FRCOG 1982
FRANZCOG 1989
OAM 2005
Details:
Anne Mary Jequier was head of the infertility clinic at the King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, and an influential and dedicated pioneer in the field of andrology and reproductive medicine.
She was born in London on 15 June 1936, the daughter of Richard Jequier, a banker, and Prudence Jequier née Taylor. She attended Frensham Heights School from 1949 to 1954 and then went to the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine. She qualified in 1961 with the Richardson-Kuhlmann prize in senior subjects and the Gwendolyn Lynn prize in medicine.
She held pre-registration house posts at the Royal Free and was then a house surgeon and senior house officer in obstetrics at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. She was briefly a casualty surgical officer at the Middlesex Hospital and then a senior house officer in surgery at Southampton General Hospital and subsequently at Luton and Dunstable Hospital.
From 1966 to 1967 she was a registrar in surgery at Southend General Hospital and then a senior registrar back in Luton. From July to December 1967, she was a senior house officer in obstetrics at the City of London Maternity Hospital, and then a registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal Free Hospital and a senior registrar at the Middlesex Hospital.
From 1970 to 1974 she was a lecturer in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Middlesex Hospital with a special attachment in urology under the supervision of Richard Turner-Warwick. In August 1974 she moved to the University of Nottingham, where she was a senior lecturer in obstetrics and gynaecology.
She moved to Perth in Western Australia in 1988, where she established herself as a leading figure in reproductive medicine, becoming head of fertility services at the King Edward Memorial Hospital and a consultant andrologist at the spinal unit at the Royal Perth Rehabilitation Hospital. Her early work with spinal cord injured patients demonstrated her commitment to addressing the reproductive needs of all individuals, particularly those facing unique challenges.
As lead for the reproductive medicine clinic at the King Edward Memorial Hospital and within the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Western Australia, she distinguished herself as one of the few female andrologists, in what was then a predominately male profession. Her pioneering work in male reproductive health challenged prevailing attitudes and established new standards of care.
Her vision extended beyond clinical practice into service development. She established her own private IVF clinic, Fertility West, and, in 2000, founded Fertility North, the first clinic in Western Australia to provide publicly funded IVF treatments. This initiative reflected her unwavering belief that all couples should have access to affordable fertility treatments regardless of their financial circumstances. She was a former president of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Throughout her career, she advocated for the recognition of the male partner as an equal participant in the fertility journey. She emphasised the importance of thorough history-taking and physical examination, insisting that men be treated as patients rather than mere providers of semen samples.
She was also a vocal proponent of judicious use of IVF, particularly advocating for consideration of less invasive techniques where appropriate, such as ovulation induction and intrauterine insemination, mindful of the potential complications associated with more invasive procedures.
She published over 80 papers and several books, including *Infertility in the male* (Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone, 1986), *Semen analysis: a practical guide* (Oxford, Blackwell Scientific, 1986), *Male infertility: a guide for the clinician* (Malden MA, Blackwell Science, 1999) and *Male infertility: a clinical guide* (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2011 second edition).
Her practical approach to male infertility made the field more accessible and comprehensible, particularly for those new to the specialty. Her generosity in sharing her knowledge through teaching and mentorship has influenced countless practitioners in the field.
She gained her fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1967 and became a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1969 and a fellow in 1982. In 1989 she became a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Her exceptional contributions to andrology were recognised in 2005 when she was awarded the Order of Australia.
She retired in November 2002 and eventually returned to the UK, to Nottinghamshire. Anne Jequier died on 6 October 2024 at the age of 88. She will be remembered not only for her scientific and clinical achievements but also for her dedication to patient care and her commitment to making reproductive medicine more equitable and accessible. Her legacy lives on in the practices she established, the knowledge she shared, and the countless lives she touched through her work. The field of reproductive medicine has lost a true pioneer, and her colleagues have lost a dedicated mentor and friend. Her contributions will continue to influence the practice of andrology and reproductive medicine for generations to come.
Sources:
*The Sydney Morning Herald* 19 October 2013 www.smh.com.au/healthcare/making-babies-20131014-2vhbk.html – accessed 14 May 2025
Rights:
Copyright (c) The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Collection:
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format:
Obituary
Format:
Asset
Asset Path:
Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010700-E010799


