Abstract: Objective: To understand the thought processes, motivations and pressures responsible for the footfall of couples in an ART (Assisted Reproduction Technology) center in urban India during the peak of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease) pandemic.
Design: Observational study.
Setting: ART center at a teaching hospital.
Patient(s): Fifty couples who visited the ART department at our hospital in urban India between July to August 2020 during the lockdown with the purpose of seeking treatment.
Intervention(s): None
Main Outcome Measure(s): Reason for seeking ART amidst the pandemic.
Result(s): The commonest reason for seeking ART for these couples amidst the pandemic was stress and / or anxiety (68%), followed by social pressure from family members and friends (46%). Only 12% reported to the center due to advanced female age or due to factor(s) that could worsen if not provided with immediate ART options.
Conclusion(s): ART cycles that are driven through social pressure in the face of an earth shaking pandemic is a wakeup call for India that requires radical reform.
Indexed in Index Copernicus
