- Launches a video sharing her journey to parenthood with IVF
- Encourages couples who are unable to conceive to seek specialized treatment
Mumbai, 07 February, 2017: Farah Khan, ace director, actor and choreographer in association with Merck, pioneers and world leaders in Fertility recently released a video on infertility. The video, a personal memoir of Farah’s journey to parenthood is a vivid recollection of her fears, challenges, doubts and ultimately her story of hope, belief and positivity towards IVF that led her to become a mother. Merck released this video as part of their ‘Parents of Fertility’ awareness initiative that helps and supports couples in India through this journey of parenthood.
Talking about her experience of going through IVF, Farah Khan said, “IVF is a blessing and I am really thankful as it has changed my life. A lot of factors today make it difficult for some couples to conceive; but we have solutions in the form of treatments. And I strongly believe in IVF, it helped me conceive my angels. Being persistent, positive and patient towards the procedure paid off. And if IVF can change my life, it could change yours too.”
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Watch Farah Khan’s heartwarming story on her journey to parenthood with IVF on YouTube.
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Farah and her husband Shirish tried for two years for a baby but were unable to conceive naturally. However, with the help of Fertility specialists, at the age of 43, they were able to become parents giving birth to daughters Diva, Anya & son Czar safely through IVF. Since then she has been very vocal about the treatment being a fantastic option for those who have not been able to conceive. The video is a medium through which Farah Khan and Merck have come together to drive awareness around infertility.
Speaking about the campaign, Anand Nambiar, Managing Director, Merck India said, “We are happy to share that our awareness efforts now have a new face and voice with Actor, Director & Choreographer Farah Khan, coming on board as a Cause Ambassador for our‘Parents of Fertility’ digital awareness initiative. Merck has taken many small steps over the years to spread awareness on infertility as we understand that seeking treatment is emotionally & physically challenging. With this video we expect to reach out to millions of couples seeking help with the message that infertility can be dealt with and one should not lose hope and seek help of specialists to fulfil their dream.”
Today, despite rapid advances in treatment, infertility affects nearly 10-15% of married couples in India, nearly 27.5 million couples. It is estimated that while female factor accounts for 40-50% of infertility among couples, infertility attributable to male factors is on the rise and constitutes 30-40% of infertility1. Several factors including changes in lifestyle, stress, job pressure, galloping urbanisation, obesity, rising levels of tobacco and alcohol consumption, the recent trend of late marriages and lack of awareness about timely diagnosis and treatment contribute to infertility1,2. The still prevalent stigma around IVF in India and the conservative backdrop linking social and religious concerns also pose as a hurdle for people seeking IVF treatment3.