World Tuberculosis Day: 15% of couples resort to IVF due to genital TB

Mumbai : World TB (Tuberculosis) Day is observed on 24 March every year all over the world. Every year millions of people die from this disease. It has the most effect on the lungs. For the last few years, it is seen that due to genital TB, couples have to undergo IVF.

Doctors say this is happening due to negligence and lack of awareness. IVF (in vitro fertilization) is an artificial process of conception. This technique has been developed for women who are unable to conceive due to any reason. About 15% of the couples who have come to resort to this technique at IVF centers across the country have been found to be suffering from genital TB. The number of such patients is increasing every year. In the last 5 years itself, their number has increased by 10 percent.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), half of the women undergoing IVF treatment in India are women. They have been found to have genital tuberculosis. Dr. Gauri Aggarwal, director of Seeds of Innocence, which runs IVF centers across the country, including Delhi, said that about 15% of the couples visiting their centers have received genital TB disease.

According to her, when a person is infected with a particular bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria), he is vulnerable to the disease. Genital TB affects the fallopian tubes in women and the pituitary gland in men.

Symptoms of illness –

Irregular menstrual cycle
Swelling in the genital area
Weight loss
respiratory distress
Mild cough