Institute of Human Reproduction

Institute of Human Reproduction

Infertility is an emotional and widely misunderstood subject. However it is an area in which medical and reproductive technology has made tremendous progress and fruitful treatments are available to most of the infertile couples.

Impregnation usually occurs through intercourse. Millions of sperm cells are ejaculated by the male in the upper part of vagina. These sperm cells travel from vagina to uterus and then fallopian tubes. In fallopian tube they meet egg. Many sperms surround the egg to help one of their colleague to enter inside the cytoplasm of egg and fertilize it. The fertilized egg cell then divides into small cells. This cluster of cells is known as embryo. From fallopian tube Embryo enters the uterine cavity after 5 days.This embryo nestle (embed) in the lining of the uterus and thereafter, develops into a baby.

Infertility occurs when the sperm and egg cells are unable to fuse together for one reason or another. However, reproduction is the complex process involving a number of steps, both in male as well as in female. Many of these steps in human beings are inherently inefficient and vulnerable, culminating into significantly lower fertility, even in normal healthy population as compared to normal fertility in other mammals and other animal species. Fertility is significantly lower in humans as the normal sperm quality and concentration in males are poorer and the fact that the females are restricted to producing only one egg in each menstrual cycle. These limitations along with other associated genetic and environmental factors may also be responsible for :

nearly 30% very early pregnancy losses observed in human beings,

exposing various inherent vulnerable factors which may have culminated into very high incidence of infertility in human being.

Our overpopulated world has blessings of prolonged survival of human beings and not the efficient reproduction as observed in lower mammals.

Consequently, therefore, it is not surprising that the observed incidence of infertility is very high in humans throughout the world, and is of the order of 10-15% in the couples of early and middle reproductive age groups. The general experience in various parts of India also supports a similar incidence of infertility. Looking at the large and increasing population of infertile couples in India (around 15 million couples), the knowledgeable medical fraternity is overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem and their large staggering numbers. The incidence of infertility surpasses the cumulative incidence of perhaps all other major types of handicaps faced by mankind like heart & kidney diseases, blindness, diabetes etc. and leads to perhaps the severe most deprivation, as child bearing is not only the foremost and fundamental biological right of every couple but also the most deeply rooted instinct.

As sex and reproduction are highly personal and confidential matters in addition to being the basis of continuity and fulfillment of our existence, this functional handicap in seemingly normal person leads to severe and gradually compounding manifestations in psychological and social arena extracting a very heavy price in terms of loss of peace & productivity in every human endeavor by the afflicted families. Social stigma and relentless and painful reminders (intentional as well as unintentional, in various forms and disguises) even by the family and relatives epitomize the helplessness, toped up further by the lack of awareness. Mental and physical torture of the afflicted couples, specially “the women” is unbelievable even if she has no share in the infertility.

IHR run by the team of professionals offers every possible medical and technological (diagnostic and therapeutic) services available anywhere in world to the infertile couples.