FEMALE INFERTILITY: Implications and Treatments

Seeking professional guidance to handle female infertility  From "The Times Of India"
By Dr. Pratima Grover. | May 26, 2012
Infertility is perceived as a problem across virtually all cultures and societies and affects an estimated 10%-15 % of couples of reproductive age. In recent years worldwide, the number of couples seeking treatment for infertility has dramatically increased due to factors such as postponement of childbearing in women, development of newer and more successful techniques for infertility treatment, and increasing awareness of available services. Parenthood is one of the major transitions in adult life for both men and women. The stress of the non-fulfillment of a wish for a child has been associated with emotional squeal such as anger, depression, anxiety, marital problems, sexual dysfunction, and social isolation. Couples experience stigma, sense of loss, and diminished self-esteem in the setting of their infertility. In general, in infertile couples women show higher levels of distress than their male partners however, men's responses to infertility closely approximates the intensity of women's responses when infertility is attributed to a male factor. Both men and women experience a sense of loss of identity and have pronounced feelings of defectiveness and incompetence. Infertility in our country has long been neglected as a social and health problem and instead seen as a curse among women. The ability of women to give birth to a child is considered as an act of contributing for the next generation inheritors of the family. Even men who are considered infertile have to face the social stigma of being labeled an impotent person. In most occasions it might lead to emotional distress, break of family bonds, divorce, discord in the family and even infidelity. Although there are several technological breakthroughs available now, compared to the situation 15 years ago, married couples in our society are yet to break the mold and come to terms with the cause of infertility and seek professional counseling and treatment. Detecting the causes of female infertility and successful treatment of the same involves adequate support from family members and friends so that women can approach professional infertility clinics without any emotional baggage or stigma. Kiran Infertility Center, based in Khairatabad, Hyderabad is a pioneer in the field of infertility treatment, surrogacy and sperm bank. They use latest technologies for detection of female infertility like Hysterosalpingography and Laparoscopy. A hysterosalpingogram is an X-ray study done after a liquid X-ray dye is allowed to flow into your uterus through a slender catheter positioned just inside the cervix. The dye outlines the shape of your uterine cavity and reveals problems such as polyps, fibroid tumors or other variations in the shape of the inside of your uterus. The dye also flows through the fallopian tubes and can reveal problems such as partial or complete blockage. Laparoscopy is a surgical procedures performed by a gynecologist. The procedure uses a small video camera to view the pelvic organs. Laparoscopy allows the doctor to view the outside of your uterus, and to inspect your ovaries. Sometimes, it is possible to remove cysts or scar tissue from an ovary using laparoscopy. The process of detection is sometimes time consuming and leads to emotional stress but specialists at this center are experienced in counseling, mentoring and treating such conditions. Kiran Infertility Center also specializes in Assisted Reproductive technology/techniques and has earned considerable reputation in this field. One of them is IUI Intrauterine insemination (IUI) also termed as artificial insemination where the female is injected with specially prepared sperm and treated with medicines to stimulate ovulation before the process of insemination. Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) represents a group of various medical techniques used for curing infertility related ailments and this involves removing eggs from a woman's body which are then mixed with sperm of a male to create embryos. These embryos are subsequently cultured for 2 to 5 days in Incubators and implanted in woman's uterus for successful pregnancy. These advances are expensive and consume more time but they have been found to be remarkable in helping women conceive and lead happy lives.IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF) is the most effective ART where eggs removed from the female are fertilized using male's sperm in the laboratory. The healthy embryos created after 3 to 5 days are implanted in the woman's uterus. This process involves fertilization outside the body of a woman.IVF is not a solution for all infertility problems but a highly successful treatment option for infertility.IVF is cost effective when compared to other similar procedures, with a success rate of up to 40 % and considered a safe treatment.

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Article on Surrogate Mothers in Hyderabad in Indian Express

An article was published in Indian Express, leading English daily in India titled "Desperate times call for surrogacy measures".

HYDERABAD: The tagline of an advertisement for an online classified site, "Sab kuch bikta hai" sums up how anything from furniture to gizmos to bikes can be sold online. In a different concept of 'where buyers meet sellers,' websites like www.surrogatefinder.com provide a platform for women willing to be surrogate mothers to those in search of one. The one-stop websites for those who opt for Assisted Reproductive technology to conceive, the sites have the profile of egg donors, sperm donors and women interested in being surrogates.

There are over 200 profiles on surrogatefinder.com from Hyderabad alone and these include those who want to donate eggs, sperms and want to be surrogate mothers. There are 13 profiles from the state under the category of surrogate mothers. Most of them cite financial problems or responsibilities for getting into this business.

One can find descriptions like 'amber eyes, black hair and 163 cm in height and 26 year-old' in profiles of potential surrogate mothers. One can contact the person after registering with the site at a steep 99.99 pounds for six months. On an average, surrogate mothers are paid anywhere between Rs 3.5-4 lakh, enough to pull them out of loans with enough to spare.

A 25-year-old woman from Hyderabad, Meenakshi Devi offers to be a surrogate mother due to financial crisis at home. Her appeal to interested couples reads, "Please, give me a chance to be a surrogate mother to your children and save my life and as well as my daughter's future."

Apart from these women who go online to offer their services, generally, those stepping into surrogacy do so due to financial reasons and are just matriculates or less in terms of qualification. "Hardly any urban women who are educated step forward to be surrogates. There is a mixed percentage of women who opt for surrogacy, with about 60 per cent hailing from rural areas. In the developed countries, educated women and even college students do not mind being surrogates or egg donors as there is no stigma attached," says Dr Samit Sekhar, chief embryologist at Kiran Infertility Centre in the city. He adds the candidates for surrogacy volunteer out of financial compulsions such as debts and losses.

Direct interaction between couples and surrogates through the website is unheard of in fertility clinics in the city. "Usually, we get in touch with NGOs who approach interested candidates. A majority of them prefer to stay at their homes during pre-natal stage and visit us for bi-weekly check-ups. We do not carry out traditional surrogacy where the egg comes from the surrogate mother as it leads to complications where the surrogate might lay a claim on the child," says Dr Shekhar.

While it is the norm to carry out physical and psychological tests for surrogates apart from counseling and hormone treatment, the range of care provided to those who approach interested parents directly online or otherwise is undetermined.

For Original article, click here >>

First Time for Everything

It has been a while since I have posted, so I thought it was time to play catch up.

It has been a whirl wind in our world at KIC. I feel like we are busier then ever with new patient inquiries, updating marketing materials and planning for future conventions. San Francisco Pride is a just a few weeks away and Dr. Samit and myself are in the final stages of planning. It will be a quick weekend trip to San Francisco for Pride and KIC will have an exhibitor booth. I am trying to reach out to local clients to let them know about our presence there, so hopefully we can meet in person.

In other news while we have lots of good things happening at KIC there are always those down times as well. In the last few weeks we have had two clients whose surrogates have miscarried. In third party reproduction it is common as you are dealing with three different parties therefore proving more difficult. The first one is where I had to make the call myself to the client once I rec'd the new from India. Not only were our clients heartbroken, but I was as well. It is one of the hardest things to have to tell someone, so I can only imagine how our clients felt.

Our second set of clients just recently rec'd word that things haven't worked out for them either. I am heartbroken for them as well. They are the sweetest couple and I wish nothing but luck their way. They are one of the few clients I have got to meet in person, so I feel a much more personal connection to them. I know in my heart though that these experiences will only make us all stronger and that in the end everyone will get their happy ending. I continue to pray for our clients, their surrogates, my team members in India who make this all possible.

"If patience is worth anything, it must endure to the end of time. And a living faith will last in the midst of the blackest storm." - Mahatma Ghandi

For Original article, click here >>

BioEdge exclusive:will gay marriage boost third-world surrogacy?

The new government of French President Francois Hollande has announced that it will move soon to legalise same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption. With pressure building up in countries like the US, Australia and the UK, perhaps it is time to ask where the children for male couples will come from. This is not a question which has been very prominent in the world-wide debate, so BioEdge has done some research of its own. We sent emails to a number of IVF clinics in the US and India asking whether they were preparing for a rising demand for surrogate mothers because of the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

The answer was a resounding Yes. Of course, our survey is far from being scientific, let alone comprehensive, but it does suggest that many needy women in developing or economically troubled countries are going to be working for gay couples looking for deals on cheap gestational carriers.

"The main reason patients travel from abroad to India is for excellent personal care, expertise and lot of savings on the treatment costs," says a Doctor from India. "The costs that they pay here is almost 1/5th the costs they pay for surrogacy in US and Europe." He gets a lot of inquiries from gay couples in the US and Israel. Is he preparing for an increase in demand? "Definitely, Yes."

Dr Samit Sekhar, of the Kiran Infertility Centre, in Hyderabad, also forecast an increase.

"Yes, we have a sizeable number of gay population that visit our clinic to have a baby using the services of an egg donor and we have seen an increase in the number of gay couples and single men approaching our clinic as soon as legitimacy to their public union is granted in their respective states or country.

"Our clinic is open to all people, whether single, straight or gay, does not matter to us. We do not advertise ourselves as being gay or heterosexual friendly. We are a clinic that specializes in fertility related treatment."

Because most clinics accept requests from all clients – married and unmarried couples, singles, gays or heterosexual – they do not necessarily differentiate between single heterosexual and homosexual males. "Some of them project themselves as singles but we are not sure whether they are singles or gay," says another Doctor from India. "[If] the law in their country does not permit gay relationship, they project themselves as single."

What about allegations of exploitation of poor women, especially in India? A couple of months ago in Ahmedabad a surrogate mother for an American woman died in the eighth month of her pregnancy. Dr Samit Sekhar, of the Kiran Infertility Centre, tackled this problem head on.

"It is difficult for a Person from abroad (journalist) to offer a correct picture of so called "reproductive tourism" in India because they have never lived here for more than a few days. Have they ever tried to stay in the house of a woman who agrees to be a surrogate mother? I am sure they would walk out after a few hours. Unfortunately the level of poverty in India especially rural India is such that surrogacy opens up a whole new window of opportunities for these women and their families."

Comments from one of the leading infertility doctors in the United States, suggest that American IVF clinics are also anticipating a surge in demand for surrogates for gay couples. He told BioEdge:

"We have followed the legislation over the years related to gay marriage both internationally and nationally. What has emerged is fairly predictable trends.

"When a country begins to consider legalizing gay marriage, we get a surge (primarily internet based but also by telephone) of inquiries regarding the 'basics' of becoming involved with an egg donor and surrogate. About 1/3 of the inquiries continue on to seek our services even before the legislation is passed; 1/3 advise us they are waiting to see what developed with legalization; and we don't hear immediately back from 1/3.

"In instances where marriage is actually legalized, we get another surge of inquiries including hearing back from those that contacted us with a 'wait and see' response. Once legalized, about 40% of the 'new' inquiries want to sign up, and we ultimately hear back from about 30% of the remainder."

"We operate a large office in Guadalajara, Mexico and have watched carefully the laws evolving. Mexico City has apparently legislated some tolerance of gestational surrogates and we are looking into this. The State of Jalisco, where our Guadalajara facility is has no laws one way or the other. We will be watching Latin America closely."

The dynamics of the relationship between same-sex marriage and surrogacy appear to be poorly understood. There are no good statistics on the clients of the surrogacy agencies which are proliferating on the internet in countries like India, Guatemala, Cyprus, and the Ukraine. Little is known about whether surrogacy really helps women to escape from poverty or debt. Media reports have painted pictures of "baby farms" and "baby factories" in India. But there are no reliable figures available even about the number of IVF clinics there.

What is certain is that demand for cheap wombs will grow to bring gay men the happiness of being the parent of their own child. What is uncertain is the long-term benefits for the women who bring these children into the world.

For Original article, click here >>

CARRYING HER CHILD Hyderabad

Coverage of the IVF Surrogacy Program of the Kiran Infertility Centre, Hyderabad by the Times News paper', Reported By "Roli Srivastava"
   

She looked ill at ease in the air conditioned room of a plush clinic in Khairatabad (Kiran Infertility Centre, Hyderabad, India) where she sat down on a huge sofa that almost swallowed her petite frame. Her hand absent-mindedly touched her slightly swollen belly as she said she was in her fifth month. Though pregnant for the third time, she said this would not be her third child.


A proverbial seven seas away, a doctor in the US awaited the birth of her first child. Having nursed the dream to have a baby for many years after marriage, she was finally hopeful, having seen pictures of the ultrasound scan, a tiny baby distinct in the blurred black and white image. The scan wasn't hers but of the woman in the Khairatabad clinic (Kiran Infertility Centre, Hyderabad, India), who was carrying the doctor's child in her womb. The two women have never met and are not legally allowed to know each other. They are bonded however by their desire. One needs a child, another money and bringing them together is the booming surrogacy business in Hyderabad. The women offering their wombs on nine- month lease to unknown women are regular homemakers, students, daily wage workers either from Hyderabad or from the city outskirts. For them, pregnancy is just another job. In classified ads on the internet, they speak of the school fee they have to pay or the debts they have to clear. Lending a womb is a small price to pay.


And while they do their job, the intended parents learn how to be a parent, living the pregnancy of an unknown woman who is carrying their child. An Alaskan couple that got a surrogate baby from Hyderabad and has done extensive blogging on the whole experience, share in of their posts how they attended parenting workshops which included lessons on how to change diapers. Ask surrogates about their experience and they steer clear of baby talk. "We get taken care of well. It's fine," a surrogate says, smiling. She adds how they even get "offs" as long as it's safe for them to venture out of the infertility clinic. They speak of families back home, the school-going child, the toddler daughter, and the husband waiting for her to come back, with the money.


"There is nothing wrong with this. It is a job that will pay me well enough to tide through some tough times," insists another surrogate, almost as if explaining it to herself. These women, some of them educated well enough to get the job of a receptionist in offices, say that while legally they are protected to do this work, they still hide it fearing social stigma. "We make excuses to relatives before leaving home. I mentioned a prolonged treatment in Hyderabad," one of them shares. Much like matrimonial ads, surrogates advertise their brown eyes and black hair. Unlike in matrimonial ads, here they also declare their fertility by sharing the number of children they have. "I have two children but my husband and I have hit bad times," shares a potential surrogate scouting for a customer on the internet. Infertility clinics too put up ads asking for "smart and intelligent" young girls.


Once signed as a surrogate, life changes for the next few months. Medical tests, psychological evaluation of the candidate and her family's medical history are carried out. Their diets are supervised and movement restricted.


After the baby is born, they fade into oblivion. They either scout for another clinic or another customer after recovering for a few months from childbirth or use the money for the purpose for which they had taken up "the job". But do they pine for the baby they carried for so many months before handing it over to a stranger? "No. It's not our child, right. So it is not right for me to think this way," says a surrogate.


(Metrospection will study the cocktail of emotions experienced by the urban woman)


For Original article, click here >>

The 16th World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility (COGI)

We are happy to announce that Dr Samit Sekhar, Dr Kiran Sekhar and Anjani Kumar from the Kiran Infertility Center will be in Singapore for discussion about Surrogacy in India from July 19th to 22nd at The 16th World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility.

The 16th World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility COGI - All about Women's Health Held Jointly with The College of Obstetricians, Singapore. The groundbreaking series of COGI Congresses provide a unique platform to discuss controversial issues in all fields of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility. The ability to discuss only controversial topics with emphasis on clinical solutions in cases where no agreed-upon answers or consensus exist, provides clinicians with an insight and a take-home message that ameliorates treatment in the most difficult situations.



We will be happy to meet Intended Parents who want to undergo Surrogacy or IVF on 21st July 2012 at 7:00 PM. The details of the venue are as follows.


The address is as follows:

Fairmont Singapore
2 Stamford Road
Singapore 178882

RSVP: Please write an email to info@kiranivfgenetic.com by 15th July if you will be coming!

Link: http://www.congressmed.com/cogisingapore/

Miguel and Pere, successful and happy parents of twins Miquel and Daniela, born with the help of the IVF Surrogacy program at the Kiran Infertility Centre, Hyderabad India. Dr.Samit Sekhar From KIC

This was aired in prime time news of the most important private channel of Spain. It speaks of three couples at different stages of the process of subrogation. Miguel and Pere were recorded just hours after receiving confirmation of the pregnancy news from Kiran Infertility Centre!