Is infertility a disease and does it matter?

Policy action points and approaches to promote fertility care in The Gambia: Findings from a mixed-methods study

INTRODUCTION

In the Global South, (in)fertility care is scarcely recognized as a priority, yet the government of The Gambia has recently included it as one of the key priorities in its reproductive health strategic plan. This inclusion appears to be the result of years of engagement between policy actors, academic researchers, and activists in the field of reproductive health and specifically of infertility. However, the operationalization of the strategic plan may be hampered by multiple factors. The research aims to identify and analyze challenges that may impede the effective implementation of the strategic plan, thereby providing policy action points and practical guidance into the operationalization of (in)fertility care in the context of The Gambia's health system.

METHODS

This is a mixed-methods study with data from a survey and semi-structured interviews collected between 2020 and 2021 in The Gambia that were separately published. In this paper, we present the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data using a convergence coding matrix to identify relevant policy action points.

RESULTS

Six fertility care policy action points, driven by data, arose from the triangulation and interpretation process, specifically: (i) establishing and maintaining political commitment and national priority for fertility care; (ii) creating awareness and increasing the involvement of men in SRH and fertility; (iii) ensuring data-driven health policymaking; (iv) offering and regulating affordable IVF alternatives; (v) improving knowledge of and means for fertility care provision; and (vi) enhancing the collaboration among stakeholders and building links with the private healthcare sector.

CONCLUSION

This study found the implementation of the fertility care-related activities in the reproductive health strategic plan may face challenges that require careful mitigation through a holistic approach. Such an approach conceptualizes infertility not just as a biomedical issue but as a broader one that incorporates educational and socio-emotional aspects, including male and (not only) female involvement in sexual and reproductive health. Moreover, it is supported by a comprehensive health management information system that includes capturing data on the demand for, and access to, infertility services in The Gambia health system.

Effectiveness of Ayurveda Intervention in the Management of Infertility: A Systematic Review

Infertility is encountered as a stressful condition by couples worldwide, impacting not just their physical and mental well-being but also placing financial strain on them. Ayurvedic management provides a promising, cost-effective avenue for addressing infertility disorders and enhances the success rates of in vitro fertilization (IVF), especially after previous unsuccessful attempts. This study aims to enhance clinical evidence and expand the scope of Ayurvedic approaches for managing infertility. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed and Scopus search engines for studies evaluating Ayurveda treatment modalities in infertility. Articles were searched using a combination of Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms, and the risk of bias was assessed using Robvis and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tool. The review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 14 studies were considered in this systematic review, involving 248 patients. Among them, 84 were males and 164 were females. Of the 14 included studies, six were original studies, whereas eight were case reports. Our research contributes to addressing a notable research gap by conducting a comprehensive analysis of Ayurvedic treatments for infertility or medical conditions that lead to infertility. However, the limited sample size and lack of standardized protocols highlight the need for rigorous experimental research to establish the efficacy and safety of Ayurvedic treatments for infertility.

Exploring health and disease concepts in healthcare practice: an empirical philosophy of medicine study

In line with recent proposals for experimental philosophy and philosophy of science in practice, we propose that the philosophy of medicine could benefit from incorporating empirical research, just as bioethics has. In this paper, we therefore take first steps towards the development of an empirical philosophy of medicine, that includes investigating practical and moral dimensions. This qualitative study gives insight into the views and experiences of a group of various medical professionals and patient representatives regarding the conceptualization of health and disease concepts in practice and the possible problems that surround them. This includes clinical, epistemological, and ethical issues. We have conducted qualitative interviews with a broad range of participants (n = 17), working in various health-related disciplines, fields and organizations. From the interviews, we highlight several different practical functions of definitions of health and disease. Furthermore, we discuss 5 types of problematic situations that emerged from the interviews and analyze the underlying conceptual issues. By providing theoretical frameworks and conceptual tools, and by suggesting conceptual changes or adaptations, philosophers might be able to help solve some of these problems. This empirical-philosophical study contributes to a more pragmatic way of understanding the relevance of conceptualizing health and disease by connecting the participants' views and experiences to the theoretical debate. Going back and forth between theory and practice will likely result in a more complex but hopefully also better and more fruitful understanding of health and disease concepts.

Sperm DNA fragmentation index affect pregnancy outcomes and offspring safety in assisted reproductive technology

The role of sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) in investigating fertility, embryonic development, and pregnancy is of academic interest. However, there is ongoing controversy regarding the impact of DFI on pregnancy outcomes and the safety of offspring in the context of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). In this study, we conducted an analysis of clinical data obtained from 6330 patients who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) at the reproductive medical center of The First People's Hospital of Shangqiu and The Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. The patients was stratified into two distinct groups: IVF group and ICSI group, Within each group, patients were further classified into three subgroups. IVF: group A (< 15%) included 3123 patients, group B (15-30%) included 561 patients, and group C (≥ 30%) included 46 patients. ICSI: group A (< 15%) included 1967 patients, group B (15-30%) included 462 patients, and group C (≥ 30%) included 171 patients. Data were collected and subjected to statistical analysis. There were no significant differences in the basic characteristics among the three groups, and the sperm DFI did not significantly affect the fertilization rates, pregnancy rates, stillbirth rates and the number of birth defects. However, the incidences of miscarriage rates in IVF/ICSI groups with DFI > 30% and DFI 15-30% were significantly higher than those in IVF/ICSI groups with DFI < 15%, and the miscarriage rates in ICSI group with DFI > 30% were significantly higher than DFI 15-30% group, the smooth fitting curve shows that there is a positive correlation between miscarriage rates and sperm DFI (OR 1.095; 95% CI 1.068-1.123; P < 0.001). The birth weight of infants in the IVF/ICSI groups with DFI > 30% and DFI 15-30% exhibited a statistically significant decrease compared to those in the IVF/ICSI groups with DFI < 15%. Furthermore, the birth weight of infants in the ICSI group with DFI > 30% was lower than that of the DFI 15-30% group. The smooth fitting curve analysis demonstrates a negative association between birth weight and sperm DFI (OR 0.913; 95% CI 0.890-0.937; P < 0.001). Sperm DFI has an impact on both miscarriage rates and birth weight in assisted reproductive technology. The smooth fitting curve analysis reveals a positive correlation between miscarriage rates and DFI, while a negative correlation is observed between birth weight and DFI.

Economic Evaluation of Medically Assisted Reproduction: A Methodological Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Medically assisted reproduction (MAR) is a challenging application area for health economic evaluations, entailing a broad range of costs and outcomes, stretching out long-term and accruing to several parties.

PURPOSE

To systematically review which costs and outcomes are included in published economic evaluations of MAR and to compare these with health technology assessment (HTA) prescriptions about which cost and outcomes should be considered for different evaluation objectives.

DATA SOURCES

HTA guidelines and systematic searches of PubMed Central, Embase, WOS CC, CINAHL, Cochrane (CENTRAL), HTA, and NHS EED.

STUDY SELECTION

All economic evaluations of MAR published from 2010 to 2022.

DATA EXTRACTION

A predetermined data collection form summarized study characteristics. Essential costs and outcomes of MAR were listed based on HTA and treatment guidelines for different evaluation objectives. For each study, included costs and outcomes were reviewed.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The review identified 93 cost-effectiveness estimates, of which 57% were expressed as cost-per-(healthy)-live-birth, 19% as cost-per-pregnancy, and 47% adopted a clinic perspective. Few adopted societal perspectives and only 2% used quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Broader evaluations omitted various relevant costs and outcomes related to MAR. There are several cost and outcome categories for which available HTA guidelines do not provide conclusive directions regarding inclusion or exclusion.

LIMITATIONS

Studies published before 2010 and of interventions not clearly labeled as MAR were excluded. We focus on methods rather than which MAR treatments are cost-effective.

CONCLUSIONS

Economic evaluations of MAR typically calculate a short-term cost-per-live-birth from a clinic perspective. Broader analyses, using cost-per-QALY or BCRs from societal perspectives, considering the full scope of reproduction-related costs and outcomes, are scarce and often incomplete. We provide a summary of costs and outcomes for future research guidance and identify areas requiring HTA methodological development.

HIGHLIGHTS

The cost-effectiveness of MAR procedures can be exceptionally complex to estimate as there is a broad range of costs and outcomes involved, in principle stretching out over multiple generations and over many stakeholders.We list 21 key areas of costs and outcomes of MAR. Which of these needs to be accounted for alters for different evaluation objectives (determined by the type of economic evaluation, time horizon considered, and perspective).Published studies mostly investigate cost-effectiveness in the very short-term, from a clinic perspective, expressed as cost-per-live-birth. There is a lack of comprehensive economic evaluations that adopt a broader perspective with a longer time horizon. The broader the evaluation objective, the more relevant costs and outcomes were excluded.For several costs and outcomes, particularly those relevant for broader, societal evaluations of MAR, the inclusion or exclusion is theoretically ambiguous, and HTA guidelines do not offer sufficient guidance.

An Ethics-Informed, Comparative Analysis of Uterus Transplantation and Gestational Surrogacy for Uterine Factor Infertility in High-Income Countries

Interest in the future, clinical implementation of uterus transplantation for uterine factor infertility was recently boosted by the demonstration of proof-of-concept for deceased uterus donation/transplantation. The ethical dimensions of living and deceased uterus transplantation are explored and addressed in the paper through their comparison to the ethical elements of an existing, legal, assisted reproduction practice in some high-income countries, i.e., gestational surrogacy. A set of six ethics lenses is used in the comparative analysis: reproductive autonomy and rights, informed choice/consent, relevant critical relational theories, health equity, theoretical application of the accepted living donation standard, and comparative benefits and burdens considerations. Gestational surrogacy, as currently practiced in some high-income countries, is the assumed, theoretical base-threshold for determination of ethical acceptability in assisted reproduction practices. The analysis demonstrates that (at the present time): 1) the ethical acceptability of living uterus donation/transplantation is less than that of gestational surrogacy in high-income countries, and 2) the ethical acceptability of deceased uterus donation/transplantation is roughly equivalent to that of gestational surrogacy. This leads to the conclusion that, at the present time, only one version of uterus transplantation practice, i.e., deceased uterus transplantation, should be considered ethically acceptable for possible clinical implementation in high-income countries.

Women's Attempts Related to Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Infertility Causes and Diagnosis: A Narrative Inquiry

In most cultures of the world, infertility is seen as a disaster and is associated with a myriad of emotional and psychological problems for women. Using Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can help treat infertility. The present qualitative study aimed to explore women's attempts related to CAM use in infertility causes and diagnosis. This qualitative study has been carried out through a purposive sampling technique on 78 women living in Neyshabur, Iran. An individual interview and focus group discussions (FGDs) was used to collect data. Purposive sampling was used based on the objective of the study and the characteristics of a population. The data collection was discontinued when saturation occurred, and no new themes or information were explored in the data. Data analysis was performed by content analysis and Atlas T software. This study revealed medical diagnosis and traditional medicine, custom activity, medicine causes, and nutrition issues influence women's view pints and attempt towards infertility and CAM use. Results suggested that infertility should be understood not only in biomedical terms but in light of cultural beliefs and the contingent need for culturally-appropriate supportive CAM. The application of CAM along with medical medicine is an essential element in assisting couples in infertility causes.

Neurodiversity and the Social Ecology of Mental Functions

In psychiatry, mental dysfunction is typically framed in relation to models that seek to be continuous with physiology or evolutionary biology and that compare individual fitness to a broader functional norm. Proponents of the neurodiversity movement, however, challenge the pathologization of minority cognitive styles and argue that we should reframe neurocognitive diversity as a normal and healthy manifestation of biodiversity. Neurodiversity proponents have thus far drawn on social-relational models of disability to challenge the medical model of disability, but they have not developed an alternative functional analysis to replace conceptions of neurological dysfunction or impairment. Here I clarify and defend the neurodiversity perspective by drawing on ecological functional models that take relational contributions to collectives, and group functioning, into account alongside individual functionality. Using the example of autism as well as recent developments in the study of cognitive diversity, I apply these models to human mental functioning and argue that what I call the ecological model has greater utility for research and practice than the leading psychiatric functional analyses of mental functioning.

Canadian Support for IVF Access and Use

OBJECTIVE

Apply Weiner's attribution-affect-action (AAA) model to the context of societal support for access to assisted reproductive technology (ART).

METHODS

Five hundred and fifty-four Canadians were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 vignette conditions describing reproductively challenged women differentiated by the root cause of their need for ART. Following this, participants completed an online questionnaire measuring the components of the AAA model.

RESULTS

The overall expected relationships among the AAA framework variables were found. Participants were least willing to support access to ART for women perceived as relatively more responsible for their fertility issues and who elicited lower levels of sympathy, whereas participants were most willing to support access for women viewed as less responsible and who elicited more sympathy. Additionally, participants were most supportive of general access to ART and least supportive when asked to offer personal funds to assist the women with access.

CONCLUSION

These findings have potential implications for Canadian health care policy decisions on funding fertility treatments through the universal health care system. Further research on this issue, as well as the development and testing of interventions aimed at addressing beliefs around equitable and inclusive access to ART, are warranted.

The ethical case for non-directed postmortem sperm donation

In this article we outline and defend the concept of voluntary non-directed postmortem sperm donation. This approach offers a potential means of increasing the quantity and heterogeneity of donor sperm. This is pertinent given the present context of a donor sperm shortage in the UK. Beyond making the case that it is technically feasible for dead men to donate their sperm for use in reproduction, we argue that this is ethically permissible. The inability to access donor sperm and the suffering this causes, we argue, justifies allowing access to sperm donated after death. Moreover, it is known that individuals and couples have desires for certain sperm donor characteristics which may not be fulfilled when numbers of sperm donors are low. Enacting these preferences contributes significantly to the well-being of intended parents, so we argue that this provides a pro tanto reason for respecting them. Finally, we explore the benefits and possible disadvantages of such a system for the various parties affected.

Gute Elternschaft. Zum normativen Gehalt der Indikation in der Reproduktionsmedizin

Die Möglichkeiten der Reproduktionsmedizin erweitern sich ständig. Bei einigen Maßnahmen assistierter Reproduktion ist es oft unklar, ob eine Indikation vorliegt oder ob diese Maßnahmen als wunscherfüllend anzusehen sind. Die Unterscheidung zwischen medizinisch indizierter Maßnahme und wunscherfüllender Behandlung hängt von dem hier verwendeten Konzept der Indikation ab. Daher kommt dem Konzept der Indikation auf dem Gebiet der Reproduktionsmedizin ein besonderer Stellenwert zu. Dabei fällt auf, dass die Abgrenzung zwischen medizinisch indizierter Behandlung und Wunschbehandlung nicht allein klinisch begründet ist, sondern implizit oder explizit normative Urteile enthält. Der sprachlich-kommunikative Aspekt spielt hierbei eine zentrale Rolle. Der übliche Sprachgebrauch von „indiziert“ suggeriert ein Urteil, das allein auf empirisch-klinischen Fakten basiert, und verdeckt die normativen Urteile, die in das Konzept der Indikation einfließen. Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrags ist es, den normativen Gehalt der Indikation in der Reproduktionsmedizin zu analysieren. Grundlage ist die eingehende Betrachtung des Konzepts der Indikation und der besonderen Stellung der Indikation in der Reproduktionsmedizin. Aus dieser Betrachtung ergibt sich, dass der normative Gehalt der Indikation von einem soziokulturellen Skript bezüglich Elternschaft geprägt ist, das sich v. a. im Leistungsrecht niederschlägt. Dieses Skript enthält gesellschaftliche Anschauungen, Normen und Rollenbilder und kann als „gute Elternschaft“ bezeichnet werden. Das Skript der guten Elternschaft wirkt als Regulativ, das durch leistungsrechtliche Vorgaben über den Zugang zu reproduktionsmedizinischen Maßnahmen bestimmt. Es basiert auf traditionellen heteronormativen Ehe- und Familienkonzepten und sieht Elternschaft für heterosexuelle, verheiratete Paare vor. Somit ergibt sich der Widerspruch, dass Verfahren der Reproduktionsmedizin, die den Raum für die Fortpflanzung jenseits traditionell-heteronormativer Konzepte öffnen, von ebenjenen Konzepten legitimiert und limitiert werden.

Is infertility a disease and does it matter?

Claims about whether or not infertility is a disease are sometimes invoked to defend or criticize the provision of state-funded treatment for infertility. In this paper, I suggest that this strategy is problematic. By exploring infertility through key approaches to disease in the philosophy of medicine, I show that there are deep theoretical disagreements regarding what subtypes of infertility qualify as diseases. Given that infertility's disease status remains unclear, one cannot uncontroversially justify or undermine its claim to medical treatment by claiming that it is or is not a disease. Instead of focusing on disease status, a preferable strategy to approach the debate about state-funded treatment is to explicitly address the specific ethical considerations raised by infertility. I show how this alternative strategy can be supported by a recent theoretical framework in the philosophy of medicine which avoids the problems associated with the concepts of health and disease.