The Hindu : Front Page : `Infertility cases on the rise in Erode'

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Monday, Sep 11, 2006
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`Infertility cases on the rise in Erode'

Karthik Madhavan

ERODE : This region, known for its fertile lands, efficient labour force and booming textile industry, has a dark side to it - one that is directly related to the above. The problem is the rise in infertility cases, particularly among men, which the doctors here attribute more to pollution than anything else.

"Pollution is one big reason for infertility in this region. Men associated with the dyeing industry are the worst affected, followed by farmers who lavishly use pesticides and fertilizers," says Dr. Nirmala Sadasivam of Maaruthi Medical Centre and Hospital.

The doctor says the situation at present is worse than it was about 15 years ago, when she began infertility treatment in this town. "In 1990, I treated 30 infertility cases a day. Today, it is anywhere between 100 and 120."

She adds: "Not only that, 60 per cent men then had a sperm count of 100 million an ml, a healthy sign; now, sadly, only 10 per cent have such a count."

Dr. S. Dhanabagyam of Sudha Women and Fertility and IVF Centre shares a similar perception. She at present treats about 2,000 patients for fertility-related problems, and 60 per cent are men. She, too, has seen an increase in the number of infertility cases from four to five new cases day in 1998 to around 20 at present.

That apart, the condition of patients over the years, too, has worsened. The doctor says, "Then I had patients coming with poor sperm count. Today many of my patients suffer from very negligible count."

Her reason for the problem: "Apart from urbanisation and industrialisation and the stressful life associated with it, adverse working conditions in textile industry and pesticide use in excess, affect textile industry workers and farmers respectively, in this region."

The doctors blame it on chemicals, oil, heat, air pollutants in spinning mills, etc. in textile industry and phyto estrogens in pesticides. In the neighbouring Karur and Salem regions too, the problem is as acute as in Erode. In an infertility treatment camp that Dr. Sadasivam conducted in Karur recently, the turnout of 4,000 against the 500 they anticipated, baffled her.

Unhealthy conditions

"Most of them were labourers, machine operators and industry workers who work in unhealthy conditions," she says. Dr. Dhanabagyam, too, had a similar experience in Salem.

Among the women, the use of polluted water and pesticide-laden vegetables and fruits bring in early puberty. This, coupled with late marriage, affects their fecundity, the doctors point out.

Confirming the trend, Dr. C. N. Raja, Honorary Secretary of the Indian Medical Association, Erode Chapter, says there has been an increase in cases and admits that pollution is the major cause.

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