Top reasons why IVF Fails in Indian Couples. Reasons that no one will tell you.
The struggle for infertility is especially draining for Indian couples who not only have to face the emotional baggage of being infertile, but also deal with social pressure of not having a child at the right time. In this context, In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) emerges as a ray of hope, assisting countless Indian couples in realizing their dreams of starting a family.
However, the path to successful IVF outcomes in India has its own set of difficulties apart from the clinical factors, other factors that affect Indian couples are stress of choosing the right clinic due to too many choices, cold chain maintenance of IVF stimulation drugs, over treatment due to competition and dearth of qualified and experienced embryologist at remote places in India. This blog scrutinizes IVF failure reasons, exploring the unique challenges that contribute to unsuccessful IVF outcomes in India.
Here are the top 9 reasons for IVF Failure:
- Not seeking help early.
- Social Stress & lack of patience.
- Choice Paralysis due to too many IVF Clinics.
- Too many constraints placed even before starting treatment.
- Lack of faith in IVF Doctor.
- Over treatment due to over expectations.
- Focusing on the wrong services instead of focusing on IVF Lab.
- Instability of cold chain management in IVF drugs.
- Giving up too easily and choosing alternatives that are easier.
Lets dive deeper into each point.
IVF Failure Reason 1 : Not seeking help early
In this section, we emphasize the critical importance of seeking assistance early in the fertility journey. Many Indian females are not fully aware of their natural fertility cycle and the exponential decline in fertility, particularly after the age of 35. This decline results in a significant depletion of egg reserves over time.
It’s crucial to understand that with each passing year without seeking fertility treatment, a female gets closer to the necessity of IVF treatment, which is a more invasive and complex procedure.
By not addressing fertility concerns promptly, individuals may miss out on the opportunity for less invasive alternatives like IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) that could have resolved their fertility issues effectively. Early intervention can make a substantial difference in the treatment process and outcomes for Indian couples.
IVF Failure Reason 2: Social Stress & Lack of Patience
There is considerable social stress that couples in India often face. The societal norms in India can be intrusive and inquisitive when it comes to matters of family and fertility. This constant scrutiny, particularly during festivals and gatherings when extended family and friends reunite, can be overwhelming. It creates unnecessary stress, which, in turn, can have a detrimental effect on fertility.
During such gatherings, there is often a significant amount of peer pressure to conceive, which can add to the emotional burden. Couples may find themselves losing the patience required to undergo the right kind of fertility treatment. The urgency for quick results can create pressure on IVF doctors to deliver fast outcomes. However, this haste can sometimes work against the desired IVF result. It’s important to acknowledge and manage this social stress and impatience as part of the fertility journey to optimize the chances of IVF success.
IVF Failure Reason 3: Choice Paralysis due to an Abundance of Clinics
The unique dynamics of the Indian medical system, which differs from the Western world, makes Indian couples often overwhelmed by the sheer number of IVF Specialists and IVF Clinics available. This plethora of options can lead to choice paralysis or decision overload, a state where the abundance of choices makes it incredibly challenging to make a decision.
The quest for the best IVF Specialist becomes a daunting task, as seeking too many opinions can lead to conflicting advice. This can add on to the stress that couples already experience, even during the initial step of selecting the right Fertility doctor.
On the flip side, Infertility Specialists are also aware of the fierce competition in the field. To stand out, they may allocate significant time and resources to market their services rather than focusing on continuous knowledge & skill enhancement. This can, unfortunately, lead to an increase in IVF treatment costs, as a portion of the expenses is allocated to marketing efforts.
The issue of choice paralysis impacts both couples in search of IVF treatment and IVF doctors, highlighting the importance of thoughtful consideration and informed decision-making to navigate this intricate situation effectively.
IVF Failure Reason 4: Imposing Excessive Constraints during treatment
When couples embark on IVF treatment, it’s essential to approach it realistically and understand that whatever sacrifices they make in the next few months are going to result in welcoming a healthy baby to their homes. Sometimes, in their haste, eagerness and professional demand, they place numerous constraints on the IVF process. These constraints can range from limiting the husband’s visit to the clinic, to limiting the number of times they can come to the clinic, to demanding quick results due to upcoming family functions or personal schedules.
However, these constraints can lead to situations where the IVF treatment protocol must be adjusted to accommodate the patient’s schedule. Unfortunately, such adjustments may result in suboptimal outcomes. This places additional pressure on the IVF clinic and embryologist to adapt treatment protocols that may not be ideal for the patient.
As mentioned earlier, the intense competition among IVF clinics often leads patients to evaluate doctors based on the frequency of clinic visits required. This practice, driven by competition, can unfortunately result in compromises to the treatment protocol that may not be necessary.
It’s crucial for couples to strike a balance between their expectations and the demands of IVF treatment to optimize their chances of success.
IVF Failure Reason 5: Lack of faith in IVF Doctor
The abundance of half baked information available online can lead patients to research infertility treatments, IVF procedures and IVF protocols independently.
However, it’s crucial to understand that medical treatment is not a straightforward formula; it’s more like an art than mathematics. What may work perfectly for one person may not yield the same results for another due to individual variations and specific circumstances. There are numerous factors to consider before tailoring a treatment plan for a patient.
When patients compare their chosen treatment protocol to what they’ve read online, discrepancies can erode their trust in the doctor. This lack of confidence may prompt them to seek second opinions, perpetuating a cycle of searching for the “best” IVF clinic and doctor.
Ultimately, having faith in your chosen fertility specialist is paramount, as it reduces the risk of wasting valuable time in an endless quest for the ideal IVF clinic and doctor.
IVF Failure reason 6: Overtreatment due to unrealistic patient expectation
Lack of patience leads to unrealistic expectations from IVF treatment. Even though patients are often counseled against the IVF success and failure rate, very few patients have the ability to accept a negative IVF result. This makes the IVF specialist over cautious and to make patients feel better, IVF Doctors might suggest extra treatments or procedures that aren’t proven to improve IVF success rate.
This can happen because patients might have read things online and wonder why these additional procedures weren’t offered. Striking a balance between managing patient expectations and providing treatments that have strong evidence of working is a big challenge in this field.
IVF Failure Reason 7 : Focusing on statistics and marketing gimmick instead of capabilities of IVF Lab and Fertility Specialists.
Patients often concentrate more on the aesthetics of the clinic rather than knowing about the core capabilities of the IVF lab. Many clinics heavily market themselves, boasting high success rates in percentages that may seem impressive. However, it’s crucial for patients to recognize that calculating IVF success is complicated and a highly subjective matter.
For instance, a clinic that conducts only one IVF cycle per month and achieves a positive result can claim a 100% success rate, whereas a clinic performing 20 cycles a month with 13 positive outcomes would have a statistically lower 65% success rate. These statistics can be misleading, so it’s vital for patients to look beyond the marketing gimmicks and focus on the lab’s actual capabilities and expertise of the fertility specialists as well as Embryologists who would handle your case.
IVF Failure Reason 8: Instability of cold chain management in IVF drugs
The stability of cold chain management for IVF drugs and lab media is a critical factor that often goes underappreciated. These essential components are frequently sourced from various corners of the globe and come with stringent temperature requirements, typically ranging from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.
Reputable IVF clinics prioritize their relationships with vendors who rigorously manage the supply chain, ensuring that these drugs and media are delivered at the precise temperatures needed. On the flip side, some clinics may opt for cheaper vendors without the same commitment to cold chain management.
However, this cost-saving measure can be a gamble, as even brief exposure to temperatures outside the specified range can have detrimental effects on the IVF cycle’s success. It’s paramount for patients to choose clinics with established reputations and a track record of working with reliable vendors, where there’s no room for compromise when it comes to these crucial components.
IVF Failure Reason 9 : Giving up too easily and choosing alternatives that are easier.
IVF is not a one shot wonder, patients will have to give this process some time, typically 6 months. Patients also need to understand that they may need more than one IVF cycle to get a positive result. A negative result should be taken with a pinch of salt and the patient should be ready to try again. Being devastated at the first negative result adds on to stress and impacts the outcome of future cycles.
There are stories of women undergoing 5 to 6 IVF cycles and multiple embryo transfers to ultimately being able to carry their own biological child.
The happiness and joy that come with such perseverance are unparalleled, reminding us that the path to parenthood may be challenging but is undeniably rewarding.
Life’s rewards are often hard-won, but tougher the journey, sweeter the memories. When the destination is joy of welcoming a child, the challenges along the way become insignificant. Remember, the most beautiful destinations are worth every hardship endured.
