Fertility issues on rise in Andhra Pradesh, says expert

Fertility issues are on the rise in the country including Andhra Pradesh, thanks to change in lifestyle among the young couples, noted fertility specialist Sujatha Vellanki has said.

Quoting the National Family and Health Survey 2019-21, she said the total fertility rate (TFR) which was four some 40 years ago has fallen below 2.1 in the country now. TFR is the average number of children born to a woman at the end of her reproductive phase of life.

“The national TFR in the NFHS 2015-16 survey was put at 2.2 and the number came down from 2.7 in the NFHS 2005-06 survey. The same has now declined to 2.1 in rural areas and 1.6 in urban areas. Lack of physical exercise, stress, late marriage, postponement of conception have led to the rise in infertility in the country,’‘ said Dr. Sujatha Vellanki.

The situation is far worse in the southern States with the TFR falling to 1.7 in Andhra Pradesh and 1.8 in Telangana and Tamil Nadu, she told the media on Thursday after announcing the launch of Oasis Fertility Centre here, the fourth one in the State.

The centre will help the needy young couples to benefit from In-vitro fertilisation(IVF) techniques, she said.

It is a matter of concern that the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime has dropped below the replacement level for the first time in the country, said another fertility specialist Dr. Deepika Boppanna.

''Infertility continues to be a taboo in many sections as one in six couples suffer from the issue. We are striving to dispel the misconceptions and assist the needy couples to overcome the problem with the latest IVF techniques,'' said Oasis Fertility chief operating officer Sudhakar Jadhav .