A disorder, not a disease

Dr Y Ravindranath

The last lap of 20th century witnessed a leap in tackling infertility with the advent of methods such as IVF Infertility is not a disease as such but a disorder of an order. Human fertility functions are very dynamic and precise.

Any deviation from this precision, may lead to a disorder. In women, the structural anomalies are permanent and congenital, like small, septate uterus, small ovaries or polycystic ovaries etc. These anomalies appear from the birth and if not corrected (some cannot be corrected), the consequences may lead either to abnormal function or no function.

Functional anomalies like hormonal imbalance, abnormal ovarian functions, irregular and painful periods etc., too can lead to infertility. Comparatively, these functional anomalies can be corrected better than structural anomalies. The seminal inadequacy in men is a similar anomaly. Apart from these inherent anomalies, age, psychological factors, stress, ignorance, changes in the biological clock and rhythms etc. can also lead to infertility.

The last lap of 20th century witnessed a leap in tackling infertility with the advent of methods such as IVF (In vitro Fertilisation), test tube techniques, followed by more advanced ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection) methods. More than 3 million babies were born by these techniques in a span of 25 years round the world. Avoiding late marriages, getting professional help without delay, may to some extent control this tendency.