Why Do Patients Try to Avoid IVF?

Very recently, I received an e-mail from a patient. He had obstructive azoospermia, and wrote-“I desperately want to avoid doing IVF. Can you please offer me any medical solution for this problem?” He had already spent several years and bushels of money on a number of doctors as well as alternative medicine options, and every one of them had promised him success. Many had claimed that their medicines would cause the block to “melt away”, but they only seemed to have succeeded in making his bank account melt away !

Unrealistic Expectations

I receive a number of similar emails from infertile patients. Most seem to have extremely unrealistic expectations about their treatment options. The truth is that at least at the present juncture, medical therapy does not have the ability to overcome blocks and there is no drug, medicine or massage that will open them.  IVF will allow them to bypass the problem, but why exactly are so many couples averse to doing IVF, even though it has a proven track record of success ?

The Proven Treatment

IVF is a proven, safe and effective treatment and one that has very high success rates. Unfortunately, there are so many myths and fallacies floating around about the side effects of IVF that many patients are unwilling to explore this highly viable option. They end up wasting a lot of time, money and energy trying to find alternatives to IVF. It’s funny , because if they had opted for IVF, many of them would have been able to complete their families by this time.

There is no refuting the fact that IVF treatment is expensive, but when patients explore a range of alternative medicine options and meet with no success, they forget that this is a drain on their finances too. The only difference is that since these treatments chip away at the patient’s wallet a little at a time, patients do not feel the pinch as much. On the other hand, those who opt for IVF have to pay a bigger chunk upfront. However, this is a penny wise, pound foolish approach. IVF can often be far more cost effective than other options !

Unfounded Fears

Now, another aspect- a number of patients who have the means to do IVF also cold-shoulder it. Their fear is that they will have abnormal babies or that the hormonal injections that are used in IVF will increase their risk of getting cancer in the future. The one way to overcome these hurdles (psychological or otherwise), is Information Therapy. It’s crucial that patients educate themselves , as this will help them get rid of their unfounded fears. 

In most instances, IVF is the most cost-effective treatment option for infertile couples. It’s also their express route to having a baby. However, it takes time and a whole bunch of patience to explain the modalities and technicalities of IVF, and we find that it is all worth the effort, because it helps them discard the burden of emotional baggage & preconceived notions that weigh them down and keep them from opting for IVF. It’s only when they do their homework, that they realize IVF treatment is remarkably safe & simple.

Mimicking the Natural Process

In IVF, all we are doing is mimicking what would happen in the bedroom for any normal fertile couple. Once they have a baby, these very same patients become staunch advocates of IVF. Today, thanks to the media, awareness of IVF is on the rise. However, there are still too many who don't understand exactly what's involved in the process and tend to shy away from it for all the wrong reasons. Little do they know- Ignorance can cost them a pretty penny!

Want to find out more about IVF ? Please send me your medical details by filling in the form at www.drmalpani.com/free-second-opinion so that I can guide you better !