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Hope for women with infertility problems in UAE

Dr Husnia Gargash, consultant gynaecologist and director of the centre, said from February 1, women will be able to store their ‘eggs’ for reproduction purposes at a later stage.

“This is the first time that any centre in the region will be providing such a service. We are offering facilities to women to freeze their eggs for a maximum of five years,” she added.

Dr Husnia explained that similar services were being offered only in Spain.

“This is regarded as the latest in the fertility sciences with a 90 per cent chance of success,” she said. “Until now, we could not freeze eggs, and if we did, they did not give good results.”

Explaining the benefits of freezing eggs for later use, Dr Husnia said, “With women who are over the age of 40 and still want to conceive, naturally, it would be difficult for them. But with this facility, they can easily use their stored eggs and increase the chances of fertility by 30 per cent.”

The stored eggs are kept in a solution in special containers for up to five years.

Dr Husnia also said that the method was beneficial for women whose chances of getting pregnant were low due to several reasons.

“Age is the most important factor if women are unable to conceive. This treatment also benefits women who are undergoing chemotherapy or other treatments in which there is a chance of eggs being destroyed,” she said.

“This treatment also reduces the chances of babies developing congenital defects as the mother’s eggs are stored while she is young,” said Dr Husnia.

She explained that the stored eggs are re-implanted in the mother’s body using the IVF treatment.

“Our laboratory is fully equipped for all this treatment. However, more staff is undergoing training to carry out the procedure safely,” she added.

Referring to an ongoing debate regarding issuance of a ‘fatwa’ issued by the Judiciary Department in Abu Dhabi and the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai that prohibits freezing of embryos, Dr Husnia commented, “This is a debate going on for years. Many Islamic countries are allowing the freezing of embryos for medical purposes. Since the debate is still going on, our services will not be affected.”

Commenting on the issue, Minister of Health Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qutami said, “We are ready to hold discussions with all the bodies concerned to reach a unanimous and conclusive opinion. The Federal National Council gave the nod in May last year to a federal law which permits and licences fertility centres all over the country.”

“However, a ‘fatwa’ was sought on the validity and legality of freezing and preserving the embryos derived from a husband’s sperm and his wife’s egg to be used later. Six months later, a fatwa was issued by the Judiciary Department in Abu Dhabi prohibiting such freezing on the ground of a possibility of mixing of kinship.”.

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