Couples with reproductive problems are crucified, especially in smaller towns, because of the still serious public stigma and difficult access to qualified medical care. According to a study by the foundation "I want a baby" couples who have problems conceiving normally are over 145 thousand, Radina Velcheva, founder of the non-governmental organization, pointed out:
"These are people who have said they have such a problem. How many are those who have not told and will not tell, because of the public stigma – we cannot count them. Whatever we have done in these more than 17 years as an NGO and the state, allocating funds for assisted reproduction, it still happens that in smaller settlements it is very difficult to talk about the topic.
The first free assisted reproduction office was opened in Vratsa in 2019. Offices in Pernik and Gotse Delchev followed, and now the fourth is in the municipal hospital in Gorna Oryahovitsa. The problem with reproductive health is becoming more and more serious, commented the manager of the medical facility, Dr. Ivan Ivanov:
"At least I have the feeling that it is starting to reach epidemic proportions, because surely each of us knows people who have or have had reproductive problems, and it is extremely important to reach all of them that there is a way for them to be helped, there is a solution and there may be a solution to their problem".
The problem becomes serious also because of the advancing age at which couples take the first steps, comments Radina Velcheva:
"Due to the fact that they do not talk about the problem, due to the fact that they are 37-38 years old and say it is still too early, at 40 they hear insinuations that they do not have a child. Diagnosis is delayed a lot. In Gorna Oryahovitsa, we will do something for the first time - we will not just open a reproductive health office, but we will direct young specialists – gynecologists and endocrinologists, for meetings with young people, in order to prevent the problem of reproductive health in time".
Rosen Dimitrov from Gorna Oryahovitsa and his wife went through the difficult path from the crucifixion of the problem to the resurrection of hope 10 years ago. Now they have twin sons and a daughter:
"A very painful stage of a couple's life. By reading, informing ourselves, although it was more difficult then, we were able to reach the right doctors who did everything for us. We are very grateful to them, things worked out quickly, from the second attempt. The important thing is that a person dreams, believes, trusts the specialists, that they are persistent. The important thing is to have a result.
About 16% of people of reproductive age have problems getting pregnant, commented Dr. Georgi Nikolov from Sofia, who has been dealing with reproductive medicine for 30 years. There are almost equal numbers of men and women whose health problems are an obstacle to normal conception, and in 25-30% the factors are combined. Dr. Nikolov says he cannot agree with the growing rumor that unfertilized eggs are implanted in IVF procedures, so that couples return for new procedures and continue to pay large sums before they decide to go. in Turkey for in vitro:
"It's even more insane because in a market economy where most centers, if not almost all, are private, competing with each other and fighting for patients, that someone would deliberately return unfertilized eggs , as I suspect is claimed. This is absolute nonsense because at the end of the day we our patients keep them and win them over because they get pregnant. The fashion for in vitro fertilization in Turkish clinics, which are more successful than Bulgarian ones, is another urban legend. What the Turks do, we do. There is no method in the world that anyone can do, and this method cannot be done in Bulgaria, not even in reproductive medicine.
The cabinet for free consultations on reproductive problems is in the AGO of the Gorno-Oryakhov hospital. Recently, there is a school for pregnant women in the department, a room with home conditions is being prepared, where the mother in labor can be accompanied by the father of the baby or a relative, investments are being made in new equipment. Births are increasing, but abortions are not decreasing, commented Dr. Mihail Milatovich, head of the department, and told about another paradox:
"We are opening an infertility clinic, and we had four abortions. I have no explanation for this thing. Those who do not have children, I hope they will come, consult with the specialists from Sofia, consult with us. The cabinet is the first in the district. They will not travel to the big cities. All procedures and examinations are free. So I hope they get things going".
The demographic crisis in our country is fundamental and precedes the political and economic one.
"If you want to stimulate a nation to produce more – there are two methods. One is to invest in assisted reproduction. It may not give such great results, but it is 4 times more profitable than increasing child benefits and hoping that this will attract more people to have another child. In other words, the demographic strategy of people like Obran in Hungary is a big stupidity", commented reproductive health specialist Dr. Georgi Nikolov.
Text and photo: Zdravka MASLYANKOVA, BNR