
𧬠IVF Boosted by Genetic Testing & Counselling: Here's Why It Matters! š²āØ
TL;DR:Ā In IVF, genetic testing and genetic counsellingĀ are game-changersāthey help avoid miscarriages and hereditary disorders by screening embryos preātransfer. In India, regulations (like the PCPNDT Act) ban their misuse for sex selection. But many clinics skip these steps, risking medical, emotional, and financial fallout for workingāclass couples. Genetic counselling supports informed and empathetic choices, while Indiaās market for genetic testing is growing fast. From the peopleās perspective, affordable access and regulation are needed to protect the vulnerable and uphold equality.
Genetic testingĀ in IVF includes PGTāAĀ (aneuploidy screening), PGTāMĀ (monogenic disorder testing), and PGTāSRĀ (structural rearrangement detection), which let clinics choose embryos with normal chromosomes or without inherited diseases like.
Genetic counsellingĀ is a psychoāeducational process where couples learn about family history, inheritance risk, test pros and cons, alternatives like donor gametes, and potential outcomes, including emotional and social implications.
Avoid miscarriages & failed cycles: Embryos with chromosomal abnormalities often result in failed or #miscarriage. Testing helps reduce such losses. For instance, #PGTA improves implantation odds, especially for women over 35.
Prevent genetic diseases: If parents carry gene mutations, PGTāM can screen embryos to avoid diseases like and many more.
Skip emotional & financial pain: Bollywood actress Sambhavna Seth shared how skipping genetic testing led to transfer of an abnormal embryo, causing miscarriage, emotional trauma, and hefty costs. She says, āYou spend in lakhs, but your heart breaks in crores.ā š
Informed decision-making: Counselling supports couples emotionally and ethically and helps them weigh options like IVF with PGT, donor eggs or sperm, or not proceeding at all.
Indiaās genetic testing market hit ā¹576 crore in 2024Ā and is forecast to reach ā¹860 crore by 2030, growing at ~6.9% annually.
At top genetics centers in India, about 28.7%Ā of counselling was for prenatal diagnosis, 11.5%Ā for thalassemia, and nearly 58% of chromosomal studies were due to recurrent miscarriages.
However, many IVF clinics in Indiaāespecially unregulated onesāskip these services, focusing on profit over safe protocols. In Lucknow, experts flagged IVF centres without proper screening or mental health support.
The PCPNDT Act, 1994 (with 2003 amendment)Ā bans any prenatal or preimplantation sex determination or selection in India. Genetic testing falls under its strict purview.
While embryo-testing for disease is legal, its misuse for #sexselection is illegal and punishable by law. Also, unregulated genetic screening like polygenic trait ranking (for height, IQ) raises ethical concerns.
Genetic testing and counselling should be widely accessible, especially in public hospitals and affordable clinics.
Regulation enforcement must be stronger to clamp down on unlicensed IVF centresĀ that bypass essential safety protocols.
Mental health care, emotional support, and transparent informed consent must accompany the entire IVF + genetic testing process.
From the peopleās perspective, reproductive justice is about protecting the vulnerableānot turning IVF into a moneyāmaking machine.
Genetic testing + counsellingĀ = safer with fewer and inherited disease risk.
Legal tools exist but are often ignored by unregulated clinics.
Rising geneticātesting market shows growing demandābut not always fair access.
We need robust public clinics, regulation, and support for working families. Thatās real justiceāfrom the peopleās side.
Drop a comment and share your view: did your doctor mention genetic counselling? Was testing offered or skipped? Letās discuss openly and help each other know our rights.
Genetic testing and counselling are not luxuryātheyāre essentials for safe, informed IVF. But access remains uneven, especially for workingāclass couples. MediaFx believes health should be for all, not just a wealthy few. Fair clinics, stronger regulation, and emotional support are what India needsāfrom the peopleās perspective always.
#IVF #GeneticTesting #GeneticCounselling #Infertility #ReproductiveJustice
Sources
This is an AI-generated story and may contain errors. Verify important information with original sources.
