World IVF Day: In Vitro Fertilisation Is No Longer Just About Conception, It's Reshaping Family Planning

World IVF Day is celebrated every year on July 25 to mark the birth of Louise Brown in 1978, the world’s first baby conceived through in vitro fertilisation (IVF). For decades since then, in vitro fertilisation was considered a method of last resort used by those trying to have children unsuccessfully.

These days, however, amazing developments are taking place in fertility science, which have changed the entire scenario. It has become more than just being able to get pregnant; now it is a method through which people can make decisions regarding the time and way they wish to have children.

As more and more people delay marriage and having children due to the focus on education and career, the importance of fertility as a health factor becomes more evident. According to the World Health Organization, infertility affects nearly one in six people around the world at some point of time in their lives.

The New Era of Fertility Science

Fertility treatment today is not limited to just the process of embryo transfer. There are innovations such as egg freezing, embryo freezing, fertility preservation prior to cancer treatment, pre-implantation genetic testing (when appropriate), and individualised fertility evaluation that provide individuals and couples with the opportunity to take reproductive control and make better choices.

Many women choose to preserve their fertility not necessarily due to infertility but for their own reasons and in connection with medical factors as well as career plans. Likewise, people who will be treated with chemotherapy and other procedures affecting fertility are able to freeze their eggs or sperm before that treatment starts.

In other words, all those innovations transform fertility treatment from a reactive method of dealing with infertility into a proactive method aimed at preserving reproductive health.

The Unsung Heroes: Embryologists

It is also crucial to acknowledge the specialists who work hard in the background in the IVF labs. Embryologists are very important when it comes to fertilization, embryo culture, embryo freezing, and embryo selection, using modern lab techniques to increase the chances of pregnancy. Their skills, together with the latest advancements in lab medicine, time-lapse embryo imaging and AI assisted embryo selection, continue to enhance accuracy.

Building Healthier Families, Not Just Pregnancies

The aim of fertility management is not just helping people conceive but making sure that the babies that are born are healthy, reducing the reproductive risks if possible, preserving fertility where required, and allowing people to take control of their reproductive future.

With further growth in knowledge, fertility education and counseling needs to become a vital part of reproductive healthcare services and not an afterthought when facing problems in conception. It would allow people to know about their reproductive health and the choices that they have.

For World IVF Day, there is a simple message: IVF has moved from being just a tool for infertility management to becoming a fundamental component of modern reproductive medicine. Along with fertility preservation and reproductive genetics, it is assisting people in making their reproductive decisions.

(The writer is Medical Director – Lab Operations, Cryoviva Life. The facts and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of ETV Bharat.)

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