THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Infertility cases are showing a spike all over the world, says Dr William Ledger, an infertility treatment expert and senior vice dean, Clinical Affairs, University of New South Wales, Australia. According to him, the increasing trend of having late marriage, lifestyle changes, environmental pollution and others could make one prone to infertility.
William also had a word of caution against adolescent endometriosis, as he opines that identifying the condition and starting treatment at the earliest could reduce the risk involved in conceiving in the future. He is the city to attend the 19th Annual International Congress in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine being organised by Trivandrum OBGYN Club at Vivanta by Taj, Vazhuthacaud.
“Many teenagers complain about period pain. Mild-discomfort and pain are usual in the first one or two days of the period. But if it prolongs then it might be endometriosis. A recent study has found that the prevalence of fatigue is more than double in women diagnosed with endometriosis than with those who are unaffected by the condition. Thus raising awareness against this and addressing it at the earliest is the key,” said William.
‘ICSI involves risk’
Estimates are such that more than a half million babies are born each year from IVF and ICSI. In Europe, clinics mostly prefer ICSI over IVF by around two-to-one. But according to William, though ICSI has emerged as the first option in artificial insemination it is nothing short of risk as when compared with IVF the chances of reproductive abnormality were high in ICSI.
Fertility preservation
Stressing on the need for a collaboration between cancer treatment centres and fertility centres, Dr William also calls for making fertility preservation programme a part of cancer treatment. “It has often been seen that even if a cancer survivor wishes to start a family life he or she couldn’t do so. It is because that the chemotherapy destroys the eggs and sperm cells. Thus my say is that oncologists should devise a fertility preservation programme for their patients,” said William.