TREATMENT. Due to the pandemic, they had to freeze the embryos.
–
The gynecologist and fertility specialist Mariana Ringa assured FIRST EDITION what “In Misiones, fertility treatments continued to be done normally, because the reality of our province was not the same as that of others in the country”.
In this sense, he said that “there was no decrease in consultations for fertility treatments, we even had more than in previous years”.
Embryos frozen
Since the pandemic began, “The only thing we could not do was embryo transfers, so we had to freeze them until the Argentine Society of Assisted Fertility authorized us after the global consensus on the non-risk of pregnancy due to COVID”, He explained.
On the other hand, he highlighted that although the consultations did not decrease, “yes there were many delays in the treatments. It happened that many people had presented their medical history to the social work and had authorized them to start the procedure, but out of fear they did not want to carry it out“.
“Some were two to six months delaying treatment, until they decided to resume it because they saw that the epidemiological situation in Misiones was more stable”, He counted.
Main queries
At first “the biggest concern was whether patients who were transiting COVID and those who had already had it, could see their gametes affected”.
After many studies that confirmed that the virus does not affect female or male gametes more than any other viral infection, “now, the most frequently asked question is about the vaccine. They ask us how it influences patients who are going to start treatment or women who have already become pregnant with assisted fertilization”.
In this regard, Ringa stated that “our recommendation is that they prioritize vaccination with at least the first dose, prior to starting treatment”. That is, “it is advisable to get vaccinated at least ten days before starting treatment or after becoming pregnant through assisted fertilization”.
“In the country, treatments were reduced by 30%”
Unlike Misiones, at the national level assisted fertility treatments showed a significant decrease. As he told FIRST EDITION the doctor specializing in reproductive medicine and director of the Center for Studies in Genetics and Reproduction and Novagen in CABA, Sergio Papiner, “there was a retraction of the activity. In the country there was a 30% reduction in treatments” as “most of the centers had to close for several months”.
Among the access barriers mentioned by the specialist, geographical or health limitations were the most prominent: “We recognized various types of access barriers such as economic and emotional, but we saw that geographic and health barriers far outweighed all others“, He said.
Although currently “the activity was resumed, we still have not achieved the same figures as in previous years”Papiner pointed out.
Consultations to freeze eggs increased
Just as assisted fertility treatments decreased, “paradoxically, the consultations and treatments to freeze the eggs increased significantly“, Highlighted the specialist and added that”this was already happening, but with the pandemic it accelerated”.
As Papiner analyzed, “I understand that it was because the patients had more free time or were more at home. I think that could have influenced because it allowed them to rethink their future either alone or with a partner.”
Egg cryopreservation
Regarding the cryopreservation of ovules at the provincial level, Ringa pointed out that, unlike what happened at the national level, “There are not many consultations, it is still something that we are trying to educate patients in the gynecology office because they are still unaware that this type of treatment can be performed in Misiones”.
Even “cryopreservation of gametes in cancer patients, which is included in the Assisted Fertilization Law, is not promoted either. Very few patients are referred to cryopreserve gametes before starting radiotherapy”.
–
