In the present day (especially in urban India), times are changing and more & more people are taking longer to settle into matrimony and plan children. Hence, there is a significant raise in fertility problems, which are not just related to age, but are also related to lifestyle. A common working individual finds it tough to eat a balanced meal coupled with severe lack of exercise, a sedentary lifestyle and increased access to drinking & smoking. These are definitely contributing to infertility.

However, there are a large number of young urban Indians who face a severe lack of time! Yes, the time seems to be in shortage and with it comes a huge societal pressure to try and fit as many things as possible within the limited time frame that is available. One such pressure that people commonly face is the pressure to have children.

At our hospital, we have faced several young couples coming in to attempt to have children through assisted reproductive technologies (or IVF as they would call it!), without having tried to conceive the natural way in first place.

First of all, let us define what infertility is in reality – If you and your partner have been trying to conceive the natural way for the last one year through regular intercourse (meaning at least 3-4 times a week), and are still not successful, then it is time you visit a doctor. However, in case you have not had the time to have intercourse, and want to take the quick and easy way out by going through an ART procedure, then you should probably rethink why you are having children in first place.

In our center, we strictly do NOT “treat” patients who do not have a problem. The reasons are as follows:

1. The entire group of treatments related to ART (assisted reproductive technologies) is here for a reason. They are medical & scientific in nature and are meant to treat people who are faced with the medical condition. To use it on anyone who is not faced with the condition is a definite misuse of the treatments.
2. The ICMR guidelines and the ART Bill strictly say that all treatments associated with ART have to be administered on couples where either one or both the partners have a definitive fertility problem.
3. So far, medical research has not 100% conclusively proven that the ART-way is no-risk for the children born. So, unless absolutely necessary, no doctor really suggests an infertility treatment.
4. Fertility treatments are not baby-making machinery. They are used to solve medical conditions that individuals are faced with.
5. If the couple does not have the time to know each other and have intercourse, there seems to be a high probability that the couple might not have the time to give their children either.