Ethics in Infertility Treatment: A Comparative Study of Allopathic and Siddha Medicine, Slides of Biotechnology

Download Ethics in Infertility Treatment: A Comparative Study of Allopathic and Siddha Medicine and more Slides Biotechnology in PDF only on Docsity!

Ethics in Infertility treatment

A study of practices in Allopathy

and Siddha medicine

Contents

• Introduction
• Treatment / Procedures - Allopathic Practitioners
• Unethical Practices of Allopathic Medicine - Criticism
• Treatment / Steps followed in Siddha System of medicine
• Unethical Practices of Traditional Medicine – Criticism
• Case History of successful patients treated through Siddha system of Medicine
• Conclusion

Infertility

• Infertility is the inability to conceive after

attempting to do so for 1 year.

• It occurs in about 10%-15% of couples
• It is a result of physiological problems in either

partner

• Increasing prevalence a cause for concern
• Attributed largely to changes in

lifestyle,environment and pollution.

How big is it a problem?

20

20 50

10

Male Female Combined Unknown

Source: American college of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Treatment / Procedures - Allopathic

Practitioners

• Male Infertility
  • Hormonal therapy to increase Sperm counts
• Female Infertility (Ref. Novak’s Textbook of Gynecology )
  • Medication to stimulate the ovaries to “ripen” and release eggs (e.g.: Clomiphene citrate)
  • Surgery to restore patency of obstructed fallopian tubes ( Tuboplasty )
  • Artificial insemination which involves the woman being inseminated with Husband / donor sperm.
  • Invitro fertilization (IVF) in which eggs are removed from the woman, fertilized and then placed in the woman’s uterus bypassing the fallopian tubes.

Treatment Options

Exogenous

 IUI

 ICSI

 Sperm extraction

 GIFT

 ZIFT

Unethical Practices of Allopathic Medicine - Criticism (cont…..)

• Psychological impact
  • Anxious to conceive – creates and worsened Marital discord
  • Clinical depression rates among Women undergoing Infertility treatment similar to those with Cancer or Heart disease.
• Medications like Steroids & Anti-fungals known to cause Infertility
• Surgical complications of Diagnostic procedures (Diagnostic laproscopy)
• Birth defects are increased with the use of IVF in general and ICSI specifically.

Ethical issues

• Issues regarding Donor Insemination - Emotional turmoil of Father - Emotional turmoil of Child - Lack of paternal bonding by children - Legal issues regarding property rights, etc - Possibility of genetic disorders being transmitted through Donor insemination - Use of unauthorized Donor Insemination

Emotional bonding between Mother

& Child….!

Treatment / Steps followed in Siddha System

of medicine

• Includes new combinations of herbal drugs not available in other systems
• Aimed at providing a Healthy life and not just the cure of

symptoms.

• System based on “ Tridosha” – humoral theory akin to modern

Endocrinology

• System inculcates good cultural principles & moral conduct
• System based on natural herbs and Ingredients rendering new

impetus for stimulation of active life

• Siddha Rx paves the way for restoration of the potency of

obstructed fallopian tubes without any surgery.

Treatment modalities –Endogenous

(Ref. Indian Medicinal Plants, Arya Vaidya Sala )

Aloe indica

Withania somnifera (^) Phyllanthus niruri

Terminalia chebula

Treatment modalities –Endogenous

(Ref. Indian Medicinal Plants, Arya Vaidya Sala )

Phyllanthus emblica

Piper longum Terminalia bellirica

Phylanthus reticulatus

All the above mentioned points

are rationally proven and not

mere “BLIND BELIEFS”

Unethical Practices of Traditional

Medicine & Criticisms

• Issues of compatibility between varieties of

Traditional medicine & the scientific method

• Lack of proper testing or Evidence based

Medicine (EBM)

• No Randomized Control trials
• Safety aspects