Undivided AP tops in childless couples: Survey

HYDERABAD: A recent study has named erstwhile Andhra Pradesh as the state with the highest number of childless couples in the country. Placed even ahead of populous states such as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the survey, conducted by New Delhi-based Gaudium Infertility Clinic (GIC), has concluded that the trend is on the rise in the southern region, with the maximum number of cases being reported from Hyderabad.

Reason? A steep jump in women in their 20s and 30s being affected by premature ovarian failure (POF) and endometriosis. "Endometriosis (caused due to a delicate tissue growing outside the uterus) is a common cause for infertility among women of child-bearing age. In India, this condition goes undiagnosed till the symptoms become intolerable. We come across many patients in their mid to late 20s whose endometriosis has progressed to stage III or IV," said Manika Khanna, founder and managing director of GIC.

The result of the three-year-long survey showed that 32% women from AP - and Hyderabad in particular - who turned up for treatment at the New Delhi clinic, suffered from endometriosis. The problem of low ovarian reserve among women, however, was found to be more critical.

In fact data released by city-based Nova IVI Fertility (NIF) that conducted a three-month study on a similar subject - between March and June, 2015 - showed that a staggering 87.5% women below the age of 35 years face this condition. The percentage among women aged 30 or less, stood at 37.

"POF is a condition where chances of fertilisation stand reduced due to less or no presence of eggs. One solution is to opt for donor egg," said Saroja Koppala, fertility consultant at NIF. To tackle endometriosis, experts recommended in vitro fertilization (IVF) or birth control pills to deal with pelvic pain temporarily. "Though stronger medications such as leuprolide acetate are effective to treat pain, they cannot solve infertility caused by endometriosis. For patients who wish to become pregnant, medical therapy may be considered prior to conceiving. But this usually does not improve pregnancy rates," said Manjula Anagani, lap surgeon & infertility specialist at Maxcure hospital.

Apart from POF and endometriosis, experts cite fibroids as a major reason leading to rise in infertility rates among women back home. Cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy are also prone to infertility. "Submucosal fibroids, for instance, pass into the uterine cavity and block chances of fertilisation. The solution is to remove these fibroids, which are known to cause heavy bleeding between periods," Anagani added.