A recent population-based study conducted on the outskirts of Ahmedabad has revealed a 7.4% infertility rate among women in the area, despite a national decline in fertility rates. The research, titled “Burden of Infertility, Its Risk Factors, Perceptions, and Challenges Faced by Women of Peri-Urban Community from Ahmedabad City: Mixed Method Study,” was published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine.
The study, spearheaded by a team from GMERS Medical College in Sola, including experts from community medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, and psychiatry, surveyed 689 women of reproductive age in Ognaaj. Of these, 51 women—representing 7.4% of the sample—were found to experience difficulty in conceiving. The research identified 3.5% of these cases as primary infertility (difficulty conceiving the first child) and 3.9% as secondary infertility (difficulty conceiving after the first child).
Dr. Rashmi Sharma, head of the Community Medicine Department at GMERS Medical College, explained that the study found notable links between infertility and factors such as asthma, mental health issues, reproductive tract infections (RTIs), and early onset of menstruation. Additional indirect factors included employment status, the husband’s tobacco use, delayed marriage, stress-related hormonal changes, and medical conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOD).
The economic impact of infertility was significant, with couples spending between Rs 200 and Rs 12 lakh on treatments. While male infertility was also noted, it was not the primary focus of this study.
The research highlighted several social and psychological impacts, including blame from spouses or in-laws and negative effects on marital and sexual relationships. Dr. Sharma emphasized the need to dispel misconceptions surrounding infertility, noting that some women sought help from traditional practitioners or general physicians, while others were unaware of the issue. In contrast, a few had attempted multiple IVF cycles without success or had resigned to fate.
Recommendations from the study include early diagnosis of health conditions linked to infertility and integrating infertility treatments into government health schemes. The research also underscored the declining total fertility rate (TFR) in India, which dropped from 3.4 in 1992-93 to 2 in 2019-21. Urban areas exhibit an even lower TFR of 1.6, influenced by factors such as financial strain, lifestyle changes, delayed marriages, and unhealthy diets. Previous national studies, like one by the Indian Institute of Public Health in Hyderabad, indicated a prevalence of 2.3% in Gujarat.
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