Kiran Infertility Centre's participation in COGI (Controversies in Obstetrics Gynecology)

Participation of Kiran Infertility Centre in COGI (Controversies in Obstetrics Gynecology & Infertility) held in Singapore from 19th Jul 12 till 22nd Jul 12. This was organized jointly with The College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Singapore.

Kiran Infertility Centre (KIC), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, July 26th, 2012- We wish to inform that Dr.Kiran Sekhar and Dr. Samit Sekhar were invited as Chairperson/ Speaker and Speaker respectively at the 16th COGI Congress held in Singapore, July 19-22, 2012. The COGI Congresses are being characterized as the gathering place for worldwide opinion leaders in the fields of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility, in which our Doctors are being counted. Their valuable contribution as such to the academic standard of the Congress assists in placing COGI as one of the leading congresses in our field.

This conference is held annually by Congress MED and Israel based organization and is organized across the globe. This time this conference was organized jointly with The College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Singapore.

According to Dr. Samit Sekhar, Executive Director- KIC, The COGI Congresses provide a unique platform to discuss controversial issues in all fields of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility. It was an exclusive forum for international experts to share and compare experiences, in order to outline appropriate treatment.

Dr. Samit Sekhar further says that scientific Program of the Congress was very good and was aimed to throw light on various topics of Infertility and perhaps one of the only programs across the globe which was discussing Reproductive Tourism.

In Dr. Samit Sekhar's view the world is sitting up to take note of Reproductive Tourism and the true potential of Infertility based Tourism business is yet to unfold, we are still seeing the growth phase of this cycle and it will take quite a while to enter into a stable phase and much more growth is expected and in coming years there will be new players, new markets added.

Dr. Samit Sekhar further adds," Participation in this program has helped us to garner various views about Infertility Treatments across the globe. It highlighted the various opportunities available and the challenges ahead in this global market for Infertility Treatments."

Dr. Samit Sekhar further says that our decision to be a part of Reproductive Tourism Symposium in the Scientific Program was totally based on our need to know the various trends that are evolving across the globe and to address the various challenges ahead in the reproductive tourism arena.

Acknowledging the fact that Kiran Infertility Centre is one of the leading Medical Facilities catering to Reproductive Tourism and having one of the largest clientele from various countries, adding up to the fact of world class services, benchmark success rates, and satisfied Patients in KIC, Dr. Mrs. Kiran D Sekhar was made one of the Chair Person's of this symposium.

Dr. Kiran Sekhar spoke on the topic "Can We Assure Patients Safety and Autonomy Away From Home and The "Pregnancy"? The Kiran Infertility Centre Experience. And Dr. Samit's topic as speaker being "What are the various Motives for Patients to Travel".

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Positive & Negative Tests

I now have 5 clients who all started at similar times and are at different points in the process. I previously posted about a client who had their surrogate test positive for twins. Great news is that the pregnancy is still going along with twins. She couldn't have expressed her happiness and gratitude more if she tried. It was so sweet how excited she was.

I also have three clients with negative tests the first time round. It is heartbreaking! I can hear the disappointment in their emails/phone calls etc. I try to say positive things to make them feel better, but I can only imagine how they feel. It is such a roller coaster.

Then we go to the next level of client in which their first test was negative, but now their second is positive. I love helping these people and answering all their questions. I hope that for all my clients it turns out to be the best and am keeping my spirits high as I know they are.

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Adopting From India: Babies Without Borders

Many gay men are having biological children for less money and less hassle by seeking surrogacy in India.

While same-sex couples having children is nothing new, there are now more options than ever for those who long to increase the size of their family but are unable to conceive by traditional methods. While lesbians have long utilized artificial insemination to have biological children, gay men have had three options when it comes to raising kids: coparenting with women, adoption, or surrogacy. Fed up with legal headaches and adoption discrimination, many gay and bisexual men have begun thinking outside the box—and out of the country—to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents.

Based in Hyderabad, India, the Kiran Infertility Center has been a leading presence in international surrogacy and infertility for four years, assisting people from 21 countries around the globe. The center offers an all-inclusive surrogacy package for international clients, regardless of nationality or sexual orientation, that handles medical procedures, counseling, lodging, and post-birth legal guidance. As a bonus, there's some local travel and sightseeing, says Samit Sekhar, MD, the clinic's chief embryologist: "The only things intended parents need to do is to inform us of their schedule and arrive in Hyderabad. We take care of the rest."

Sekhar says that unlike at many American clinics, there's no waiting period at Kiran. Once the client signs on, the clinic begins the process by preparing the surrogate and allowing the parents-to-be access to its database of egg donors.

Kiran employs case managers in various cities across the U.S. and Canada (it recently announced its latest addition in Seattle) to assist with medical and other issues and keep clients in the loop with weekly updates. That stateside access offers peace of mind to many would-be dads. And once the baby is born, the clinic provides the legal assistance that helps the new parents obtain a passport and exit visa for their bundle of joy.

The total bill typically comes to $25,000-$40,000, depending on whether the egg donor is a local woman from India or a woman flown in from North America or Europe. It's a far cry from the more typical $80,000 bill for a surrogacy handled in the United States. A U.S. surrogate's fee alone can be up to $25,000, with medical costs, legal fees, additional fees for multiple births, and miscellaneous extras on top of that.

And couples who have previously run into legal or religious barriers while trying to adopt a baby from India needn't fear. Sekhar points out that adoption and surrogacy are two separate legal matters in that country.

"To date, we have not faced any issues regarding surrogacy for same-sex couples from any religious group or from the government," he says. And the proposed Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill 2010, awaiting approval, will codify that surrogacy is available to all couples as long as their relationship is recognized in their own country.

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The Follow Up

It has been a while since I blogged, but thought I would play catch up on this rainy Seattle Sunday! I have worked through the weekend trying to touch base with all those who have inquired about our surrogacy program. Since the Advocate highlighted our surrogacy program we had an increase of inquiries especially from gay couples. A lot of time when people inquire about our program they don't leave a contact # which makes it hard to get a hold of them and answer their questions. While email is a great form of communication it can be difficult to get to know someone on a more personal level. I like to speak to my clients on the phone and hear more about their background as well as tell them about mine. I also feel that sometimes clients get overwhelmed with all the info that is sent to them in one email, so I like to call and walk them through it. I hope to receive a lot of phone calls back this week from all my emails and voice mails.

This coming week I have a few clients who will be having their second transfer and some with their first. I am hoping for the best for everyone! I know how anxious everyone is during this time so I do my best to keep them calm. My one client whose surrogate is pregnant with twins is still over the moon excited, as the pregnancy continues. They are going to be such great and loving parents.

In other news I think KIC is going to register for the San Francisco Pride Festival to be an exhibitor. It should be a great weekend to meet great people who are excited about the opportunity to have a baby. Plus San Francisco is one of my favorite cities that I haven't been to in years.

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2nd Embryo Transfers = Positive Tests

Today was a good day!

I rec'd word that two sets of clients who had initially had negative tests the first time around had surrogates who tested positive for a pregnancy. It is still early, but the initial sign is good. One couple had used all of their embryos from the first donor, so opted for a different donor the second time around. The other couple still had embryos remaining from the initial donor, which has resulted in an initial positive test.

The initial test is testing the Beta HCG Values, which I had to research as a client asked me and I wasn't even sure. According to Babymed.com the definition of Beta HCG Level in early pregnancy means the following:

"HCG stands for "Human Chorionic Gonadotropin", the pregnancy hormone which is produced by the placenta and enters the blood soon after implantation and is detected with pregnancy tests. HCG is being produced by the placenta and enters the blood stream as soon as implantation happens, about one week after fertilization and ovulation, when the embryo implants and the placenta attaches to the uterine lining.

:: hCG under 5 mIU/ml: Negative. Not pregnant
:: hCG between 5-25 mIU/ml: "Equivocal". Maybe pregnant maybe not. Repeat test in a couple of days
:: hCG over 25 mIU/ml:You are pregnant! "

Overall I am going to keep sending positive thoughts to my clients and hopes that the next test which is done in 3 days is still positive. I am anxious just thinking about it, so I can only imagine how they feel.

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The latest form of altruism

Semen donation is the latest form of altruism that has proven a boon for childless couples. Heralded as a milestone in the field of medicine, this charitable act, now taken up by millions of people across the globe has fast caught up in the City. Although many consider it unorthodox and unna­tural, social awareness and the reliability of this method has helped many couples realise their dreams of parenthood.

Vishweshar Rao is a 33- year-old who is into the food and nutrition business. He is happily married and has two children. He says, "I was motivated by my friends in Bangalore to contribute to their sperm bank. The first time I did, I was offered `1,200 as compensation. However, I felt it was morally wrong to accept money for a charitable act such as this and it made it seem like a business endeavour. Ever since then I have been helping childless couples and single parents (hetero and homosexual, who later approach surrogate mothers) by donating the sperm."

The internet is flush with advertisements from semen donors who wish to donate or sell their sperm. Doctors, scientists, musicians, engineers all figure in the list of people who proactively wish to cater to the needs of the childless. Students too, who want to make a fast buck, are a part of this.

However, not everybody can donate their sperms. Dr Samit at Kiran IVF clinic says, "A sperm donor has to be healthy with no history of diseases. Childless parents want all the prime qualities of intelligence, good looks and great physique in their child so the standards set are pretty high."

"When a sperm donor ap­p­r­oaches a bank, he is che­cked for infections, congenital diseases, HIV etc. Edu­cation, family background, habits and their genes are scrutinised for a period of six months. His sperm count is checked and samples of these are frozen in the bank. After six months, the donor is ready to donate his semen and there are umpteen regulations that monitor this too," says Dr Samit. A donor cannot have sex three days before donating his sperm. All donations are done under conditions of anonymity.

While the idea has certainly not appealed to the conservative and orthodox, some are apprehensive about the procedure as they claim it is "unnatural". Shamina Ali, a mother of two says, "It is unnatural for a woman to accept semen from strangers. It will only lead to a breakdown of the moral fabric of the family." Furthermore, the demand for exceptional qualities in sperm donors has caused a huge demand-supply gap in the City.

With Bollywood's latest movie Vicky Donor based on sperm donation, there seems to be a growing awareness. However, it remains to be seen what impact the practice will have on the millions of childless couples who wish for a progeny.

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Couples who have children can now go to India for surrogacy

In Brazil, the Constitution, a woman cannot receive money to gestate the child of another. What is allowed is the loan of the belly.

The monument is over 400 years. Around it is a crowd. In India, second only to China in population, there are about 1.2 billion people.

Hyderabad, southern India, has always had a nickname: city of pearls. The trade of which is traditional. Done for centuries. But the city could well win a new title: City of babies.

Babies who go out of clinics that offer the service of surrogacy.

Indian women become pregnant in exchange for money: receive an embryo and generate the baby for couples or singles who cannot conceive. Mathew and James came from the U.S. for it. They lived together for eight years. They wanted to be more than a couple, wanted a family. Soon, their child will be born.

"Are you ready for this?" Asks Matthew.

"Yes," replied James.

The couple does not know the woman giving birth to their son. They just know where she spent the last nine months. In one clinic, the owners of surrogate living in a dormitory or a hostel complex.

Altogether there are about 60 women scattered on the top floor of a clinic, all of them are already pregnant and the majority for the first time as surrogates. All come from very poor villages in India; and here they receive care and nutrition that they would not be able to have in their homes.

"They are with us and have a strict regimen of diet, personal hygiene, dietary supplements, are accompanied at all times," explains Dr Samit Sekhar.

Each woman receives a payment of about $ 9000 USD, about 16,000 Brazilian Real per pregnancy.

This is a fortune in India. In poor villages, people live on only $ 3 per day. A 24 year old will use the payment to pay off debts and open a cosmetics shop. We wonder what she thinks of being a surrogate mother.

"I am very happy to participate in the program and to help other people," she says.

The surrogacy service was started by the Kiran Infertility Clinic four years ago. "In total, 212 women have had children with us, through this whole process," says the Dr Pratima Grover.

The couples spend about $ 25,000, R $ 45 thousand for the Surrogacy Package. Much less than in the United States, where the price reaches eight times.

The cost of surrogacy in India is precisely what attracts people around the world. Including Brazil, where it is prohibited. We found a couple of Rio de Janeiro in India found that the solution to a dream that seemed impossible.

In Brazil, the constitution, a woman cannot receive money to gestate the child for another. What is allowed is the loan of the belly. That is: to offer the uterus without receiving anything for it.

But the Federal Medical Council imposes a condition: who gives the belly should be a second degree relative of the woman who will stay with the child.

In some cases, may even be a friend, provided that the board authorizes.

"Our concern is with affection, not to generate lawsuit up front," says Joseph Gallo Hiran Silva, director of the Federal Council of Medicine.

Lene and Richard, who live in Rio de Janeiro, or consider asking friends and relatives. "It's emotionally difficult to get a pregnant sister for you," says Richard. The Canadian and Brazilian have been together for 12 years.

Lene has two daughters from another marriage, Richard was never a father. The couple tried to have a child. Lene did a treatment in Brazil to become pregnant, in vitro fertilization, in which a sperm fertilizes an egg in the laboratory.

"There were four unsuccessful attempts," says Lene.

"There are people who try seven, eight times. It was impossible for us emotionally, "says Richard.

It was possible when Lene and Richard discovered the surrogacy, in the same Indian clinic (Surrogacy at Kiran Infertility Centre) as Mathew and James.

"We started with emails, their site and everything. So then we went up there to see if it really was what we were seeing in social networks, "says Lene.

Attempts to impregnate a surrogate mother in India have started there. The couple will follow the pregnancy in Brazil, more than 14,000 kilometers away.

"I'll feel pregnant" jokes Lene.

In Brazil, the child will be considered the child of Lene and Richard.

"When a child is born, we will leave the hospital with a birth certificate with my name and his," says Lene.

For Justice, who is the real mother in such cases? "One who seeks treatment," says Ana Scalquette, biotechnology advisor to the commission of OAB.

"I can get the egg of a woman and the womb of another mother and be considered" complete.

"It's a tough decision, because it is the dream of every parent to give a kiss on the belly. The surrogate will deliver the child, but I'll have children, "says his father moved.

They have already have a room for the babies in the house. Now the parents expect the time to meet the baby. To Mathew and James, the time has come.

"Two boys," says Matthew, to discover the sex of their child.

The meeting finally happens. James is so excited that only silence can express. It was he who donated sperm for fertilization. He is the biological father.

Mathew has called the children by name: Foster and Fox. After ten days they can take the babies home. They'll start a new life, along with two brand new little lives.

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