Infertility may just be an assumption

VADODARA: The news that his wife is expecting a baby would make any man jump in joy but for Sameer (name changed) it was more of a surprise. The couple has been trying to have a baby and had also gone for artificial reproductive techniques (ARTs) three years ago, but Sameer’s wife conceived naturally. However, experts claim that they are not the only example.
Doctors say couples now jump to conclusions quickly that they are infertile after trying for a few months, even when they have no complications. Unrequired treatment along with couple’s deteriorating self-image affects their sexual performance because of which they are unable to procreate.
“Couples today are affected the most by stress and work pressure. We are attending more and more cases of low-sex marriages and even no-sex marriages. When they decide to have a baby, they are already acting under pressure of performance which seldom results in a pregnancy,” said psychiatrist and sex-therapist Dr Mrugesh Vaishnav.
“Sexual performance depends a lot on an individual’s state of mind and confidence. When one starts believing that he or she is infertile and cannot have a child, it becomes more possible that he/she will not have one,” Vaishnav added. Experts said dependence on internet to self-diagnose medical conditions has also encouraged couples to assume their infertility. “Couples insist on ARTs or conservative therapy which affect them negatively, increasing chances of impotency even when they had no problem to start with,” said city-based sexologist Dr Vivek Jain.
The number of couples asking for intrauterine insemination and ARTs has risen considerably. “When couples ‘plan a baby’, the pressure to perform on designated days of ovulation becomes more of a planned activity than a way of bonding. Regular intercourse is crucial for a couple as it helps escape the pressure of performance before they actually plan to reproduce,” said gynaecologist Dr Komal Patel.
According to Jain, “Priorities have reshaped in today’s time. Many of my patients love their spouse and enjoy spending time together but have an almost non-existent sex life. In a life of stress and hyper-tension, couples tend to avert sex.”
Ishita.Badra@timesgroup.com