In France he has been one of the voices of medically assisted reproduction (MAP) – also known as medically assisted reproduction (PMA) – for around thirty years. Professor François Olivennes, obstetrician and gynecologist, was one of the first to use this technique, along with Professor René Frydman, a pioneer in reproductive medicine who gave birth to the first French baby through in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 1982.

At a time when the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced this “a major plan to combat infertility”, during his press conference on January 16, and where the issue of reproductive difficulties was raised invites itself to public debatethe author of A thousand and one babies (Grasset, 2022) discusses the medical care of women and men affected by PMA in an interview for the podcast by World “(Barren “.

If a couple is unable to conceive a child naturally, after what length of time do you advise them to seek help?

If you are under 35, after twelve months. When you’re over 38, time counts. Certainly a woman’s fertility does not decrease in a month, but I recommend that after six months of regular intercourse you visit your local gynecologist who will order you examinations to find out whether you should contact an assisted reproduction center.

Speaking of “regular reports,” what do you mean by that?

We can assume that three times a week or every two to three days around ovulation is already not bad. This is the frequency that allows us with almost certainty to determine the period in which the woman is fertile. On the other hand, it doesn’t make sense to have sex several times on the same day or, conversely, to hold back in anticipation of the big day. This doesn’t make the sperm any better, quite the opposite.

Who are the couples you receive?

In the vast majority of cases, I receive heterosexual couples who have no particular history. Of these, 30% have already had experience a pregnancy, regardless of whether it is carried to term, an ectopic pregnancy, or terminated by a miscarriage.

Some already have diagnoses that help understand their infertility. For example, a man who had problems with testicular descent in childhood or someone who may have had a serious sexually transmitted infection. It could also be a woman who has had a fallopian tube infection or does not have a regular cycle. But in any case, before starting the course, all patients must undergo examinations to determine what is the cause of the problem.

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