Dr Nicholas K Christoforidis, MD, MSc, FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Fertility Specialist, Embryolab Co-Founder & Clinical Director
Embryolab Fertility Clinic has recently launched an innovative clinical service aimed at further improving infertility and assisted reproduction services. This service focuses on the importance of counseling in the early stages of fertility investigation and on the appropriate direction that individuals interested in reproductive health issues should take. For the first time, the focus of fertility counseling is shifting one step forward, focusing on individuals of reproductive age who wish to receive accurate and detailed information on issues related to their fertility, the factors that affect it, from their personal and family history to their lifestyle and the impact this may have on their chances of getting pregnant in the future. In this way, young men and women become familiar with the importance of adopting a healthy Mediterranean diet, maintaining a normal body weight, and avoiding harmful factors such as smoking and alcohol.
The Fertility Counseling Service also places great emphasis on the impact of environmental pollutants on fertility, aiming to raise awareness among the reproductive-age population about the various chemical disruptors and their impact on both the likelihood of becoming pregnant and the success of in vitro fertilization treatment. In addition, an important goal of counseling is to offer fertility preservation options when social and economic reasons do not allow for immediate family planning. Treatments such as egg and embryo cryopreservation can be critical options in such circumstances.
Equally important is counseling for individuals who are about to undergo assisted reproductive treatments, where the goal is to highlight the most common issues that concern individuals undergoing in vitro fertilization, such as the effectiveness of the methods, their safety, both for the woman herself and for the health of the children that will result. And, of course, another critical point where counseling as an innovative service is useful is the evaluation of a history of assisted reproduction, in particular about the response to hormone therapy, embryological development in the embryology laboratory, as well as endometrial preparation and pharmaceutical support for embryo transfer.
Overall, this new Fertility Counseling service aims to empower women and couples seeking reliable information on current issues related to reproductive health, how to ensure their fertility, as well as the best choice of methods and treatments to assist reproduction when there are indications for intervention at the level of in vitro fertilization.
