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In South Africa, infertility occurs in 15% to 20% of the population: that's one in every six couples.
According to Cape Fertility, the cost of fertility treatment depends on the type of treatment done, and treatments such as artificial insemination cost between R5000 and R10000 per cycle, with IVF treatments costing R56 000 to R66 000 per cycle.
Surgery may be covered by Medical Aids in South Africa, but IVF and other assisted reproduction are not.
"The prevalence of infertility worldwide has increased significantly the past two decades," Dr Christa North, a representative of Supreme Fertility, told Parent24.
"There are so many products and treatments available to help people fall pregnant, such as IVF but these seldom look at the root cause of why a couple may be struggling to conceive,"she said, "or what the body needs to be in a good position to conceive naturally."
Dr North told us it was clear that there was a need to put a programme together that is firstly affordable, but also looks at the genetic make-up of both parents.
"This gives us clues as to why a couple may not be conceiving,"she explained "We have also learnt that there are some very basic things couples should be doing such as taking the right supplements, but few programmes address this."
This is why a new local fertility programme is promising couples a simpler, more affordable, way to fall pregnant.
Supreme Fertility explains that they delve into the root causes of infertility, and provide guidance and help to couples struggling to fall pregnant.
Their new 6-month programme, which includes DNA testing, is aimed at couples with unexplained infertility when physical causes of infertility have been excluded.
An additional aim, especially for older couples, is to ensure optimal health before IVF treatments, and is unique in its approach in that, before any intervention, a DNA test is done on both the hopeful mother and father to determine what their genetic makeup indicates about their ability to conceive.
The good news is that with this starting point, doctors are often able to identify possible genetic weaknesses and biological challenges very quickly and prescribe a course of treatment.
Patients are equipped with an understanding of infertility linked to female factors such as recurrent miscarriages, implantation failure, and the potential genetic causes of these, such as disrupted circadian rhythms, retaining heavy metals, Endometriosis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, uterine fibroids and more.
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