Is In Vitro Fertilization Being Overused?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) pioneer Dr. Sami David thinks nearly 50% of IVF procedures are unnecessary.
IVF is often the first step taken after a diagnosis of infertility, but Dr. David thinks it should be one of the last. Dr. David is concerned that doctors often skip over the investigation and treatment of underlying problems that cause infertility.
Asked why fertility doctors are not investigating and addressing deeper problems, Dr. David said, “Some could be lack of knowledge or lack of interest. They have a product to sell, and they sell IVF. Sometimes it’s just the impatience of the patient or impatience of the doctor.”
Dr. David also points to male factor infertility as something that needs to be checked and addressed more frequently.
“First off, 40% of infertility is male factor infertility. If there is a sperm problem, the doctor should not be pumping the woman up with fertility drugs to make multiple eggs, but rather sending the husband off to see a specialist,” he explained. “You need to reach the root cause of their infertility, not just bypass it. If there is a problem with the man, it may represent a medical problem, a serious medical problem. Doctors are missing an opportunity to help the man with his medical problem.”
Dr. Sami David recently published Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility, co-authored with Jill Blakeway, a licensed acupuncturist. Making Babies addresses more holistic and integrated fertility options.
Holistic approaches to fertility such as acupuncture and herbal medicine focus on correcting underlying health problems to boost optimum fertility. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can be used alone to enhance fertility, or in conjunction with conventional assisted reproductive techniques to improve success.
