Not
every woman is blessed as you and me because many couples are childless today. With
the increasing economic pressures, our lifestyle is becoming more and more
vulnerable. After marriage, every woman dreams at least once about motherhood.
Due to fast-food culture and live-in relations, most couples prioritize their
careers first which pushes their family life to the last place. Yes, we are
talking about infertility and the struggle towards motherhood which rises at an
alarming rate today.
Statistics
says that the fertility rate has dropped by 19% over the past decade and this
drop varies from as high as 28% in Punjab to 5.6% in Kerala. People were more
conscious about their eating habits, but nowadays with exposure to growing
technologies all are inclining towards ready-to-eat and frozen preparations.
Infertility is
defined as biological inability of an individual to contribute to conception. If
a couple is trying for more than a year and their effort is fruitless, then it
is time to visit a fertility expert. The struggle starts here, which needs a
lot of patience with tons of optimism. The journey requires complete support of
spouse, family and well-wishers, who can be a great source of strength at a
time when the woman finds herself cursed and inadequate. Thanks to advanced
medico-technologies that are a blessing to such existence.
Infertility
has many reasons. Some of the reasons behind female infertility are: Ovulation
disorders (Premature ovarian failure, PCOS- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome,
Hyperprolactinemia, Poor egg quality, Thyroid problems, some chronic
conditions, etc), Problems in the uterus/ fallopian tube (Surgery, Sub-mucosal
fibroids, Endometriosis, Previous Sterilization Treatments), Medications,
Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy, Illegal drugs, Obesity, over-age, etc.
Male
infertility may be due to: Sperm disorders, Testicular
infection/surgery/cancer, Ejaculation disorder, Varicocele, Hypogonadism,
Genetic abnormality, Mumps, Hypospadias, Cystic fibrosis, Radiotherapy, etc.
Analysis
claims that 20% of infertility issues are due to men, 40-50% due to women
infertility factors, 30-40% of cases due to both and the rest 5-10% could be
termed as unexplained infertility. The couple has to go through a series of
medical examinations followed with experts’ advice to find out the actual
cause.
Then
comes the treatment, which can be of any type based on the diagnosis ranging
from IUI (Intrauterine Insemination), IVF (In-vitro Fertilization), ICSI
(Intracytoplasmic Sperm injection), Egg Donation, Sperm Donation etc. The Cost for
such treatment ranges between Rs.80,000 - Rs.1,50,000 per IVF cycles, and this
may be even more in case of ICSI pregnancies. This might take months or years
together and the toll on the woman’s life is substantial. At the same time when
medical science betrays her, surrogacy and adoption offer a renewed chance at
motherhood.
“Woman”,
the personification of strength, pushes herself with hope towards her journey
and she gambles motherhood even at the cost of her health. After a long wait
and efforts when she finds herself blessed.....ah! that cannot be explained in
words. When the baby smiles for the first time, it is worth the pain. So eat
healthy, stay fit, live life and never miss an opportunity to say “I LOVE YOU”
to your child who made you worthy.
Author:
Mrs. Anitha S
