IVF in Jharkhand: New Hope for Families

Ranchi: Ramesh (40) and Neelam (38) (names changed) got married in 2023. The Ranchi couple began planning a family soon after tying the knot. However, their advancing age made it difficult for Neelam to conceive.

After a year of futile attempts, the couple met a city-based fertility specialist for medical advice.Tests revealed that Neelam had low egg count (diminished ovarian count) due to her age lifestyle. The factors, the couple said, significantly reduced Neelam’s chances of conceiving naturally.The specialist then recommended in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), a commonly used assisted reproductive technology (ART) in which eggs are fertilised with sperm in a laboratory before the embryo is implanted in the uterus.

“We opted for IVF, and it changed our lives forever. Today, we are proud parents of a 1.5-year-old child,” the couple told STOI.When their 20-year-old son Suraj was killed in a road accident in 2023, Satish (48) and Payel (43) were devastated. Grappling with the untimely demise of their only child, the couple expressed their desire to have a child to cope with their loss. However, for the couple who were married 20 years ago, conceiving naturally was no longer possible due to their age.

The couple subsequently approached a fertility clinic and opted for IVF treatment in 2024.

The procedure was successful, and they are now parents to twin babies, marking a new chapter in their lives.Growing awareness:Ever since Jharkhand’s first IVF child was born more than two decades ago, IVF centres have come up in almost cities of the state. Once considered a tabooed subject, fertility treatment is steadily moving into the mainstream, reflecting changing aspirations, lifestyles and a gradual erosion of long- standing social taboos.Growing infertility rate:“Infertility in traditional societies has often been viewed through a moral or cultural lens rather than a medical one, with women bearing the brunt of blame. In Jharkhand, as in many other parts of the country, childlessness was frequently linked to stigma and social pressure. However, growing awareness, better education and increased exposure to medical science are slowly changing this narrative,” said Dr Rajnarayan Sahu, director and chief embryologist of Ankuram IVF.However, the increasing acceptance of IVF also underscores a worrying rise in infertility across couples of all age groups. There are many factors to it such as change in lifestyle, growing drinking and smoking habits among both men and women, rising pollution among others.Experts attribute the rising demand for IVF to a combination of socio-economic and biological factors. One of the most significant is delayed marriage.

As more young people pursue higher education, careers and financial stability, the average age of marriage has increased. Consequently, couples often start trying for children later in life, when fertility levels naturally decline. In terms of gender, both men and women hold 50 % share so far as infertility issues are concerned.“Everyone’s biological clock is ticking. But women are more affected by infertility issues.

Their fertility age starts at 16-18 years of age. By the time they reach their 30s, their body becomes unsuitable to conceive naturally. Also, consumption of junk foods and pesticide infused fruits and vegetables, drinking, and smoking habits decreases production of sperms in men and ovum in women, compelling them to rely on IVF techniques,” Sahu said.

In the case of men, working in a heated environment, wearing tight trousers too heavily impacts their sexual health.Dr Rupashree Purushottam, member of Indian Fertility Society and a Ranchi-based fertility expert said infertility rate in Jharkhand hovers between 4-10% of the couples, irrespective of their age.“Although delayed marriage is one of the factors behind adoption of IVF techniques, it also depends on other medical disorders such as diabetes, thyroid and hypertension, which is prevalent among all age groups. Also, the medications of these disorders, largely impact fertility,” she said.Purushottam said 4-10 couples out of every 100 in Jharkhand need IVF treatments as they cannot conceive naturally. Infertility rate is also high among men working in the coal sector. “The temperatures in these areas are higher than other cities due to presence of coal mines and industries. This has emerged as a reason for infertility,” she said.Financial burden and risk of unsuccessful IVFs:Although IVF has become a much sought-after choice for the infertile couples, the risk associated with it cannot be ignored. A Ranchi-based fertility expert on condition of anonymity said that each IVF procedure costs around Rs 1-1.5 lakh, which includes costs of consumables and stimulation injections. “But after spending that much money there are chances that the procedure fails, as the whole process depends on the acceptability of the body.

There are always 20-30% chances of failure in IVF procedures. However, to make it affordable most of the clinics have introduced EMI facilities for the procedures,” the expert added.