It has
been quite stressful for aspiring parents to ascertain if Covid-19 can impact
conception through IVF. Resolving some vital queries on the same is Dr Shivani
Sachdev Gour, MBBS, MD - obstetrics and gynaecology. DNB-medical genetics.
MYTHS
1.
Covid-19
vaccine can affect your periods and it should not be taken at the time of
periods.
2.
Getting
Covid-19 impacts conception through IVF dramatically and reduces chances of
conception.
3.
Women
with polycystic ovaries, if considering IVF, must avoid vaccination.
Does
Covid-19 impact fertility?
There is
no definitive evidence that shows Covid-19 can impact female fertility. What is
well known is that the virus attaches itself to ACE2 receptors and these are
widely present in the uterus, ovaries, placenta and other organs involved in
the fertility process. Evidence so far shows women who have recovered from
Covid-19 did not suffer any negative effects on their IVF success rate, but the
evidence is still evolving as new variants crop up. However, couples with a desire
for pregnancy must be warned that sperm quality after Covid-19 can be
suboptimal.
How
long should one wait after contracting Covid-19 to start IVF?
Results
from a university affiliated centre study in Israel suggest postponing IVF
treatment for at least three months (duration of folliculogenesis and
spermatogenesis) after recovering from Covid-19, aiming to recruit healthy
gametes that were not exposed to the infection during their development.
What if
one had Covid-19 during the IVF process?
If you had
Covid-19 during IVF, it is likely that the treatment was stopped. If you had an
infection after egg collection, it is likely that your embryos were frozen and
embryo transfer was postponed. Covid-19 doesn't affect patients' performance or
ovarian reserve in immediate subsequent IVF cycles, except for reduced
proportion of top-quality embryos (TQES). We, therefore, suggest to postpone
IVF treatment for at least three months after recovering from Covid-19.
Dr
Shivani Sachdev Gour,
MBBS, MD-obstetrics and gynaecology, DNB-medical genetics PHOTO: HTCS
