🧬 IVF Boosted by Genetic Testing & Counselling: Here's Why It Matters! 😲✨
- MediaFx
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
TL;DR: In IVF, genetic testing and genetic counselling are game-changers—they help avoid miscarriages and hereditary disorders by screening embryos pre‑transfer. In India, regulations (like the PCPNDT Act) ban their misuse for sex selection. But many clinics skip these steps, risking medical, emotional, and financial fallout for working‑class couples. Genetic counselling supports informed and empathetic choices, while India’s market for genetic testing is growing fast. From the people’s perspective, affordable access and regulation are needed to protect the vulnerable and uphold equality.
🧪 What’s Genetic Testing & Counselling Anyway?
Genetic testing in IVF includes PGT‑A (aneuploidy screening), PGT‑M (monogenic disorder testing), and PGT‑SR (structural rearrangement detection), which let clinics choose embryos with normal chromosomes or without inherited diseases like.
Genetic counselling is a psycho‑educational process where couples learn about family history, inheritance risk, test pros and cons, alternatives like donor gametes, and potential outcomes, including emotional and social implications.
🔍 Why It’s Critical in IVF 🎯
Avoid miscarriages & failed cycles: Embryos with chromosomal abnormalities often result in failed or #miscarriage. Testing helps reduce such losses. For instance, #PGTA improves implantation odds, especially for women over 35.
Prevent genetic diseases: If parents carry gene mutations, PGT‑M can screen embryos to avoid diseases like and many more.
Skip emotional & financial pain: Bollywood actress Sambhavna Seth shared how skipping genetic testing led to transfer of an abnormal embryo, causing miscarriage, emotional trauma, and hefty costs. She says, “You spend in lakhs, but your heart breaks in crores.” 💔
Informed decision-making: Counselling supports couples emotionally and ethically and helps them weigh options like IVF with PGT, donor eggs or sperm, or not proceeding at all.
📈 The Indian Context & Market Trends
India’s genetic testing market hit ₹576 crore in 2024 and is forecast to reach ₹860 crore by 2030, growing at ~6.9% annually.
At top genetics centers in India, about 28.7% of counselling was for prenatal diagnosis, 11.5% for thalassemia, and nearly 58% of chromosomal studies were due to recurrent miscarriages.
However, many IVF clinics in India—especially unregulated ones—skip these services, focusing on profit over safe protocols. In Lucknow, experts flagged IVF centres without proper screening or mental health support.
⚖️ Legal & Ethical Safeguards
The PCPNDT Act, 1994 (with 2003 amendment) bans any prenatal or preimplantation sex determination or selection in India. Genetic testing falls under its strict purview.
While embryo-testing for disease is legal, its misuse for #sexselection is illegal and punishable by law. Also, unregulated genetic screening like polygenic trait ranking (for height, IQ) raises ethical concerns.
🗣 People’s POV: What Should be Changed?
Genetic testing and counselling should be widely accessible, especially in public hospitals and affordable clinics.
Regulation enforcement must be stronger to clamp down on unlicensed IVF centres that bypass essential safety protocols.
Mental health care, emotional support, and transparent informed consent must accompany the entire IVF + genetic testing process.
From the people’s perspective, reproductive justice is about protecting the vulnerable—not turning IVF into a money‑making machine.
✔️ Key Takeaways (Quick Recap)
Genetic testing + counselling = safer with fewer and inherited disease risk.
Legal tools exist but are often ignored by unregulated clinics.
Rising genetic‑testing market shows growing demand—but not always fair access.
We need robust public clinics, regulation, and support for working families. That’s real justice—from the people’s side.
🤔 Got Thoughts or Experiences?
Drop a comment and share your view: did your doctor mention genetic counselling? Was testing offered or skipped? Let’s discuss openly and help each other know our rights.
✨ MediaFx Summary
Genetic testing and counselling are not luxury—they’re essentials for safe, informed IVF. But access remains uneven, especially for working‑class couples. MediaFx believes health should be for all, not just a wealthy few. Fair clinics, stronger regulation, and emotional support are what India needs—from the people’s perspective always.
