Infertility is a condition and not a disease, an infertility specialist and gynaecologist said in the city on Saturday.

“It is a relative condition and not an absolute one, which means a woman might not conceive at one point but with medical help the chances of conceiving improves. Therefore, we now use the term subfertile and not infertile,” Gautam Khastgir said.

In Indian society, whenever a woman faces issues with conception she has to deal with questions at a social gathering, in the family or there are people who show unnecessary sympathy and it increases her anxiety, Khastgir said.

“Less anxiety increases the chances of conception,” he said.

He was speaking at a webinar organised by Bengal Infertility and Reproductive Therapy Hospital (Birth), a fertility centre, and Zydus Healthcare to spread awareness about fertility and to launch Khastgir’s book “100 Prosno-uttore Pregnant” in Bengali.

Khastgir said the book would answer questions about reproduction. “There are so many questions that couples have about reproduction but people are shy to talk about it. Whether in school or college, reproduction is not discussed as a subject.”

Saturday was the 42nd birthday of India’s first test tube baby Kanupriya Agarwal, an MBA, who joined the webinar from Mumbai.

“She is India’s first test tube baby and it was conducted by Subhash Mukherjee. Two other people in the team were Sunit Mukherjee and Saroj Bhattacharya,” Khastgir said.

Kanupriya Agarwal Telegraph picture

Agarwal, the mother of a seven-year-old daughter, joined the webinar, along with her parents Bela and Prabhat Agarwal.

“I was fortunate and didn’t have to go through any anxiety but my mother went through it for 20 years before my parents took this step. I believe when technology is available we should grab it with both hands,” she said.

“If someone has a toothache they will seek help rather than leave it... so, if one is not able to conceive, one can seek help and not look at it any differently whether it’s reproductive or dental system. People should look at it calmly and seek the required help, psychological or physical,” she said.

“In 1995, the ICMR recognised that the first test tube baby in India was done by Subhash Mukherjee. The medical community is still hoping for some recognition in the form of an award from both the state and central government,” Khastgir said.