Warangal: Infertility is becoming an epidemic for young Indians. More and more young couples are seeking treatment for infertility. Infertility is a medical condition with high prevalence affecting nearly 10 to 15% of married couples in India.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that one in every 4 couples in developing nations is affected by infertility. India has nearly 27.5 million infertile couples, and out of which only 1% of the couple come forward to get themselves treated. This is primarily because of the low awareness levels and the myth that the success rate in IVF/Fertility treatment is very low.
The total fertility rate, which is the number of children who would be born per woman if she were to pass through the childbearing years bearing children according to a current schedule of age-specific fertility rates, has declined from 3.9 in 1990s to 2.3 in 2013. It is estimated that while female factor accounts for 40-50% of infertility among couples, infertility attributable to male factors is on the rise and constitutes 35-40%.
On one side while we talk about the alarming rise in the infertility issues, Oasis Fertility – A well known and respected Fertility centre had celebrated the Mass – Baby Shower of 40 couples who have conceived through IVF treatment at the centre under able treatment of Dr. Jalagam Kavya Rao. There was a very high spirit of celebrations among the would be moms.
Talking on this happy occassion, Dr Jalagam Kavya Rao – Clinical Head and Fertility Specialist at Oasis Fertility for Reproductive Medicine commented that “Lifestyle changes have gone from bad to worse, and include increasing age at marriage, increasing number of working women who delay pregnancy, rising alcohol and tobacco consumption, sedentary lifestyle coupled with fast food consumption, and disturbing levels of obesity. More educated women are more likely to postpone marriages and childbirth. They are also likely to opt for smaller family sizes as they are busy with their careers and work commitments. “She also added that “The prevalence of smoking among Indian men is around 48%, which is way higher than that in the UK and the US. Smoking is known to lower the sperm count, motility as well as function. To make things even worse, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), tuberculosis, and pelvic infections have been on a rise. The global prevalence of PCOS ranges between 5-10%. However, the prevalence is Indian subcontinent has been estimated to be between 4 to 25% in various studies.”
She also stated that “This is a big occasion for us as we called all the couples today who have conceived in last six months to share their joy and happiness with other couples. ‘’
