According to the latest reports, it has come to light that the number of couples undergoing IVF has increased in 2021 in Mumbai.
The fertility clinics observed a halt in In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatments in 2020 after the first wave of coronavirus, however, couples resumed their plan of conceiving, despite the second wave.
With no end to the pandemic, the couples who had postponed their fertility treatment in the first wave, are now queuing up at fertility clinics, doctors said.
"We can't wait any longer for IVF treatment because we understand COVID-19 will be here for a long time," said the 38-year-old Bhandup resident, who is an engineer.
She got married in 2015 at the age of 32. The couple delayed their plans to have children as her husband now works as an animator in the Hindi film industry. He had to go to Chicago in 2017 for his Masters in Animation. When he returned in 2019, he decided to start a family.
She was then diagnosed with abnormalities in her ovulation. The doctor suggested that she take Ovulation Induction (OI), which uses hormonal therapy to stimulate egg growth and release for fertility.
"I started my treatment in May 2019. But it was not helpful. Therefore, doctors recommend intrauterine fertilization (IUI),” she added.
IUI is a procedure for the treatment of infertility in which a small catheter is used to inject sperm directly into the uterus around the time the ovary is released to fertilize one or more eggs.
The couple's first procedure was scheduled for April 12, 2020, but by then, the virus had spread across the country. Since there were many rumours that the infection could affect the fetus, they decided to postpone the process until the epidemic was over. But even a year later, the incidence of coronavirus continued to grow.
After waiting almost 13 months, they decided to complete the process in May. To their surprise, she became pregnant on the first cycle. “Only 20 per cent of people succeed in the first cycle of the IUI procedure. “Compared to the first wave, we had more confidence in the second wave for fertility treatment. Hence, we are willing to take risks, ”she added.
Similar to this couple, other couples also had postponed IVF treatment. Statistics provided by the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) show that in 2016, about 8,000 women underwent IVF treatment in the city. In 2019 there were more than 12,000 women. However, after the outbreak of the COVID-19 last year, the health organization said that the number of couples opting for IVF treatment has dropped by 50 per cent.
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