IVF Treatment for Infertile Couples with Multiple Failure of Pregnancies
Mala and Karan, aged 31 and 35 respectively, were married for five years without a baby and had almost lost hope for experiencing parenthood. They had been trying naturally for the first two years and had visited various gynaecologists since then. Due to continuous pressure from family and friends, the couple finally decided to go for IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) to conceive. However, the stress and the disappointment over the years of not conceiving naturally had taken away their happiness. Post several counselling sessions, they realised that they had to be mentally and physically fit before undertaking the treatment and this required planning.
Over the past few years, the uptake of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) to conceive has grown exponentially in India along with the rise in infertility cases. Studies reported that more than 100,000 IVF cycles are performed annually in India. Today, advancements in technology enable conception and childbirth in infertility conditions that were previously thought to be untreatable. Conditions which were considered hopeless before like aspirating sperms from testes, giving pregnancies to women with absent ovaries, or women with menopause and genetic defects are now treatable.
In spite of achieving the impossible, success in IVF cannot be assured completely as the implantation and growth of a healthy embryo in the mother’s uterus is a complex process involving numerous blood connections, tissue developments and immune reactions. It is important for the couple to understand the process of IVF and plan their treatment accordingly. While 70% of the couples visiting the centre have a fair idea of IVF treatment, its procedure, the side effects and the finances involved, very few are aware that they have to plan and prepare well ahead of the treatment.
