We The People: Let's Talk Infertility
Published On: April 30, 2023 | Duration: 22 MIN, 47 SEC
Because of stigma and a lack of awareness of what causes infertility, thousands suffer silently and do not seek help. In a special episode of We The People, we continue an open conversation about a perceived stigma that we've been talking about on NDTV for the last few weeks - infertility. Today we hear from people about their experiences - dealing with infertility and how they sought treatment for it.
FAQs
Is A Woman Always Responsible For A Couple’s Inability To Conceive?
In 15-20% of the cases, the male partner is responsible for a couple’s inability to conceive. This increases significantly when there is excessive consumption of alcohol or drug abuse. One of the issues in treating male fertility in India is that a lot of the Gynaecologists, especially female Gynaecologists refrain from dealing with male patients. At ART, we have specialistdoctors well trained to diagnose and treat male infertility including conducting medical procedures like FNA, TESA, TESE and Micro TESE.
When And Why Should I Go For An IVF Treatment?
You should consider fertility treatment if after one year of regular unprotected intercourse you are unable to conceive.
Why Do We Need Many Eggs While Undergoing IVF Though I Need Only 1 Child Now?
It has been scientifically proven that the higher the number of eggs retrieved during an IVF stimulation, the higher the chances of delivering a healthy baby. Normally, not all eggs will lead to live birth. Some of the eggs may not be mature and they will not fertilize. As a woman ages, the egg quality deteriorates. In Indian women, research has shown that by the age of 33, half the eggs in a normal woman’s ovaries have a chromosomal abnormality and will cause implantation failures (embryos will not implant in the uterus) or abort early in the pregnancy. Both chromosomal abnormalities and genetic mutations can cause embryo arrests and implantation failures. Moreover, having additional good-quality eggs can be used to create healthy embryos & be cryopreserved for future use. This enables having more than one time embryo transfer from one egg retrieval cycle and also more than one child born from one egg retrieval cycle. This is both less stressful and cost-effective.
Will I Lose My Eggs Faster After Undergoing IVF Treatment And Retrieving So Many Eggs?
Absolutely not. In normal circumstances, only one follicle is stimulated by the FSH hormone secreted from the pituitary gland and the rest of your eggs preselected that month are thrown out of the system,h. Using stimulating medications will allow several of these follicles that are pre-destined to be removed from system to grow and be retrieved.
In fact, the use of stimulating medications will not reduce your ovarian reserve (the total number of eggs you have). IVF treatment also does NOT affect the age when a woman will reach menopause.
Are There Any Side Effects Associated With IVF Treatment?
Stimulation medications can cause mood swings, headaches, hot flashes, abdominal pain, bloating, mild cramping and discomfort, breast tenderness and constipation. However, it does not affect all women and lasts about a week. AT ART, our doctors and medical staff are extremely well-versed in stimulation techniques. Our key USPs is our own proprietary stimulation protocol, which enhances the quality of your eggs retrieved and reduces the chances of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) occurring.
