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Creating a family is a life dream for many people. The white-fence house, the big yard with a plastic slide, and a warm Christmas with the kids. Unfortunately, the disease of infertility can get in the way of a couple’s dream. As the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests, the “failure to achieve a pregnancy” can be a true disease. While there is no party to blame, there are many ways to fight infertility. The latest one is using fertility bots.
Before we take a look at this trend, let’s take a look at infertility. How many suffer from it?
The worldwide stats
Estimates of the WHO reports that at least 48 million couples have issues having a baby. And at least 186 million people worldwide have infertility problems. That’s 1 out of every 7 couples trying to get pregnant with IVF treatment, ovulation tracking, and egg freezing. In the United States, about 6% of married women (between 15 and 44) can’t get pregnant, not even after one year of trying.
Most of them choose IVF treatments as a last resort. In fact, less than 3% of infertile women do IVF, although the success of this option has reached a 45% rate. And it started at 5% in the 1970s. This procedure first started in 1978 and, since then, over 8 million babies have been born thanks to IVF. That’s a meaningful number, so much so that 90% of infertility cases can be solved with a scientific treatment.
Many different factors and reasons can lead to infertility and it can be both the woman or the man, having physical issues. As the WHO reports, collaborating with governments, institutes, and academic centers can help people. So can new and innovative treatments and technologies.
What is a fertility bot?
Private companies have invested in new ways to fight infertility, with over $1 billion being spent in only one year. That’s how much private businesses can help struggling couples. They can also help by implementing new tools, like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and bots.
The uses of bots vary and they go from simple tasks like answering questions to more advanced ones, like actually guiding sperm to the egg.
So, the basic bot is one that can engage people, almost like the bots you’d see on e-commerce sites. These bots are easy to access, fast, and can create a bond. Also, they can help couples start a conversation about infertility. After the conversation has begun, it might be time to start acting.
The spermbot
In the world of fertility bots, the spermbots are the latest innovation. As mentioned in the National Geographic reports, these are “tiny, corkscrew-shaped motors designed to drive lethargic sperm to their target.” Moved thanks to magnetic force, these motors are in the developing phase in a German laboratory. While the spermbot isn’t yet available to the public, the scientists’ improvements and updates might make it available soon.
Why it matters
Given how many couples can’t get pregnant, developing a fertility bot can assist people. It can give them medical and emotional support, as well as share important and relevant resources and information. Plus, if the spermbot becomes a reality, people will have access to an innovative procedure. In the 70′, IVF treatment was the latest buzz. Decades later, science and the medical field are making giant steps. The healthcare industry is truly changing – and access is key.
