Hyderabad: World Fertility Day is being observed on November 2nd with the aim of motivating and making people aware of the issues related to infertility or fertility around the world and making people come forward and get treatment for their issues. Cases of fertility problems or inability to give birth are increasing rapidly among young people in India and worldwide.
According to statistics, in the U.S. while one in every eight couples (female or male) is unable to conceive, in India this figure is almost one in six, especially in the urban population. There can be many reasons for infertility which can be related to physical or mental health and sometimes lifestyle. World Fertility Day is observed on November 2nd to clear the common misconceptions about the causes of infertility and spread awareness among people about the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and the important factors associated with it.
World Fertility Day was started by IVF Babble on November 2nd 2018. IVF Babble is a community started by two women named Sarah and Tracy, who took the help of IVF technology for reproduction. The purpose behind starting this community was to share the problems with fertility and the struggles and difficulties during their IVF journey with others who are taking or want to take this treatment. At the same time, their aim was to give people a platform where others like them can talk about their troubles and struggles and other people can benefit from this treatment.
The initiative of World Fertility Day has now been established as an occasion that gives people a platform on the global stage where awareness programs are organized on issues like fertility at least once a year. Often discussions and other campaigns are organized on various factors related to fertility problems. The International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology (ICMART) characterizes "infertility" as failure to establish a clinical pregnancy after 12 months of regular, unprotected intercourse, or loss of a person's fertility.
The Demographic and Health Survey, conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization between 1990 and 2004, found that one out of every four couples in developing countries had infertility problems. It is a matter of concern that the cases of infertility or problems in reproduction are increasing very fast in the country and the world. It is a problem that not just affects physical and mental health but also affects the family and social life of a woman or a man.
Also read: "Stomach Cancer Awareness Month": Creating awareness about Colon Cancer
Statistics show that around 186 million individuals are affected by the problem of infertility worldwide. At the same time, data from the Indian Association of Assisted Reproduction shows that 10 to 14 per cent of the population in India is affected by the problem of infertility. Not only this, there is a steady decline in the fertility rate in many countries of the world including India.
Giving birth to a child in our society or in any community is considered very important for an individual or couple. Those who are not able to do this usually have to face the questions of society or family. In most cases, women are held responsible, especially when there is a problem with fertility. On the other hand, if a man is unable to reproduce or is trying to cure this problem, then his alleged masculinity is questioned. At the same time, for women, 'Infertile' is an abusive word.
Even in today's era, not only in India but also in many other countries, the problem of fertility is considered a social disgrace and there are many misconceptions and fears associated with it. Due to this many people hesitate to consult a doctor when they have fertility problems, or even discuss it with their family members. At the same time, many people shy away from the treatment of such problems due to the cost of the treatment of infertility or other reproductive problems and it being more painful for the body.
Many factors can be responsible for infertility in men and women, but sometimes they can face problems in conceiving even if both people are healthy. In such a situation, after physical examination of both women and men, they are directed for necessary treatment. Sometimes pregnancy becomes possible only with medicines to stimulate the ovaries for a better quality of eggs, medicines to improve the health of sperm in men and sometimes hormone injections etc. But if this does not help, then doctors recommend adopting assisted reproductive technology like Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) or In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
World Fertility Day is an occasion that provides a platform for people on the global stage and in the public to try to dispel all the misconceptions about fertility issues and their treatment. Apart from this, information about the causes of infertility, different problems of women and men and their treatment, the courage to open up to people about their problem and make efforts to bring awareness among people to get the right treatment is one of the main objectives.
