Anuradha (Name Changed), a self-reliant professional with a degree in marketing, has endured five long years of marriage marred by the agony of infertility. Despite her and her husband's steady private jobs, financial stability seems elusive in a home overshadowed by constant tension. Her quest for a child wasn't met with endless treatment and harsh ridicule from her mother-in-law, whose taunts and cruel remarks pierced through her daily life. Family gatherings become forums for judgment, with scathing questions like, "Will you show us a grandchild before we die?" turning her pain into a public spectacle.
In a society that unfairly blames women for infertility, Anuradha's torment underscores a glaring injustice. While she bears the brunt of this emotional and physical suffering, the conversation around male fertility remains silent. Her story is a stark reminder of the intense mental anguish faced by many women, spotlighting the need for empathy and understanding in the face of such personal battles.
Anuradha is from Chandrapur. The silence around this topic only makes the problem worse, showing a troubling reality that many prefer to ignore. Anuradha’s situation brings to light a hidden crisis in her district, calling for urgent attention and open discussion. However, this topic remains largely unspoken.
What is the situation for infertility in Chandrapur district?
Although the industrial Chandrapur district of East Vidarbha has flourished due to leading mining and industries like coal, cement, electricity, steel, and paper, now the citizens are suffocating due to changing environments and pollution. Its effects are affecting the health of the citizens and they are facing respiratory diseases, asthma, TB, cancer, eyes, skin, heart diseases, and infertility in men and women. Married couples in both rural and urban areas are experiencing increasing issues, including mental depression and domestic violence.
The district of Dalmia is abundant in mineral resources, with an estimated coal reserve of 1606 million metric tons. It has 29 coal mines, 17 underground and 12 underground. The district also has abundant iron ore deposits, accounting for 77.9% of the state's potential. Besides Ballarpur Paper Mill, Ambuja, ACC, Ultratech, Manikgarh (Ultratech). Dalmia has five cement factories, a power generation plant, a steel plant in Sale, the Chanda Ordnance Factory, an iron and steel plant, a Bhatachi rice mill, etc. However, the damage to the environment of the district in this industrial boom is a matter of concern.
The district's pollution has risen by five micrograms due to violations of pollution control board norms. The air pollution limit is 100 micrograms, with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen levels set at 80 and 80 micromam per mp respectively. However, the ratio has risen to 105. The increased forest area is expected to contain pollution, but industry measures are not being implemented and affecting human health.
What are the signs behind infertility?
Women's irregular periods, severe abdominal pain, recurrent miscarriages, irregular ovulation, men's sperm production and function issues, advanced age, hormone or reproductive problems, narrowed or blocked fallopian tubes, abnormal thyroid or pituitary gland function, and men's spermatozoa were the reasons for infertility. According to experts, clogged ducts are a major contributing factor in the development of infertility, impotence, and sterility.
Climate change threatens male fertility
Research has revealed that there has been a rapid decline in male fertility over the past few years. Although no concrete reason has emerged for the reason for reduced fertility in men, experts say that environmental toxins also affect male fertility. He said that this is one of the many reasons.
Semen analysis is the basis of the assessment of fertility in men. Based on that, it is seen whether the male has the necessary sperm for reproduction. If the sperm count is low, medication is given.
Research reports indicate that a significant number of men are experiencing fertility issues. A 2017 study revealed a 50 to 60 percent decrease in sperm count per milliliter. By 2019, observations of the total number of motile sperm showed that the proportion of men with normal motility had decreased by 10 percent over 16 years.
Exposure to environmental toxins impacts hormones and reduces fertility. Ongoing research is exploring the extent to which these toxic elements in the environment affect fertility.
1 in 6 people in the world suffer from infertility (WHO). A 98-page report by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that around 17.5% of the global adult population roughly one in six will face infertility at some point in their lives. This is the first prevalence estimate for infertility in over a decade.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization, has underscored the seriousness of infertility as a global public health issue. There is an urgent need for increased and easier access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Infertility causes are diverse and often complex, affecting both men and women. Fertility treatments are very costly and frequently lead to significant financial burdens.
Despite the scale of the issue, solutions for infertility prevention, diagnosis, and treatment including assisted reproductive technologies like IVF are often underfunded and inaccessible due to high costs, social stigma, and limited availability. The report suggests that governments should use this information to enhance health systems, develop evidence-based policies, and implement proven solutions to help individuals achieve their reproductive goals and lead healthy lives.
Pain of victimized women...
Talking to Kamal (name changed), she was saying that it has been 4 years since marriage. Now my age is 26 years. Children are not yet born. Trying; The clinic is open. The people of the house used to support initially, but seeing the way of looking and talking of the society, now the mother-in-law is ready to spend as much money as she wants despite the poor condition of the house, but they want a son.
I operate a sewing machine. As she is not having a child, she goes there and gets treatment, but there is no baby yet. One cannot live freely in the village and society. The mother-in-law does not give any trouble, but she is worried about her grandson. It is very shocking when some family members even burn the daughter-in-law, kill her daughter-in-law and take ghastspot along with mental and physical torture as unemployment in the society.
Environmentalist social activists say….
Yashodhara Potanwar from Chandrapur has been working in the social sector with the women's movement for the past 35 years. According to them married women who do not bear children are kept away from auspicious work. Society treats her with contempt. He told the incident of Sanjay Nagar in Chandrapur, a woman named Meena was childless. A woman named Rekha used to live in front of her house.
One day Mina's husband went to Rekha's house and started beating her. They did not stop at that, but took her out of the house and crushed her with a stone. His opinion is that 'because she looks at my house, my wife does not have a child'. An innocent Rekha was killed in this. Both men and women are responsible for childlessness. Both should check first. Choose the correct option. It is necessary to act on cases of domestic violence.
Astronomer and environmentalist Prof. Suresh Chopane stated that 100 years ago, the average age at which girls came of age was 16, but it has now decreased to 12. Girls are reaching maturity earlier, and children are changing rapidly. The primary reason for this is the changing climate and rising temperatures. Chandrapur, the district with the highest temperature in the world, is experiencing these physical changes in lifestyle due to high temperatures. Additionally, the district’s severe pollution is negatively impacting public health, leading to increased cases of TB, respiratory diseases, and heart conditions. As a result, human sperm is directly affected, increasing the risk of infertility. The government needs to conduct a health survey on this issue, as there is still room for further research.
Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other harmful substances due to air pollution are responsible for spoiling sperm quality. Apart from this, laptops, cell phones, and modems are also responsible for spoiling sperm quality. Sperm motility and size are damaged due to radiation.
Heavy metals such as calcium, lead, arsenic, cosmetics, etc. are very harmful to the health of sperm. Apart from this, the more toxic elements increase in the air, the more they affect men's sperm and women's fertility, said gynecologist Dr. Rajni Hazare.climate change—Baimanus Chandrapur, which is known as the hot district in the world, is now leading in pollution as well. Due to industry, the forest area is decreasing, and the air and water have become chemical and polluted.
The neglect of human health in the changing fast-paced lifestyle and the effects of climate change are directly affecting human health to a large extent and it is necessary to implement the rules set by the Pollution Control Board. Infertility is a mental health problem that affects the health of the entire family. There is an equal need for the government to research this and plan timely measures.
(This is a special series on 'Climate & Gender' under 'Project Dharitri' jointly run by Asar and Baimanus.)
