Dr Umesh Jindal, an IVF expert for 40 years, says couples now see IVF as a health choice: ‘Not a shameful last resort’
She Slays: Dr Umesh Jindal reflects on her 40-year commitment to combating stigma around infertility and IVF, noting significant changes in societal perception.
The year was 1996. Chandigarh's first IVF baby was born at a fertility centre. These were times when In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) was perceived with stigma and scepticism. Yet, Dr Umesh Jindal, who has dedicated over 40 years of pioneering work and research in the field of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), is committed to restoring hope, dignity, and possibility for couples struggling with fertility. The 71-year-old veteran says her medical journey was riddled with resistance, but she found strength in empowering women silenced by the burden of infertility.
For World IVF Day 2025, Health Shots reached out to infertility specialist, obstetrician, and gynaecologist Dr Umesh Jindal to discuss a four-decade-long journey in the field of IVF, battling myths and misconceptions, spreading awareness, and the changing perception towards Assisted Reproductive Technology.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. What led you to begin your journey in IVF and infertility care in the 80s?
Dr Umesh Jindal: During my early years working at PGI Chandigarh, I witnessed countless women facing social stigma and emotional trauma due to infertility, especially in the 1980s when such issues were either ignored or ridiculed. That experience left a lasting impression on me, and being part of a World Health Organisation (WHO) project on infertility at the time gave me both the technical insight and the conviction to address this silent suffering. No doubt, the challenges were immense, as there were no trained embryologists, no local equipment suppliers, and even the concept of IVF was met with scepticism.
Q. Would you describe your early journey in this field as an emotionally driven mission?
{{/usCountry}}Q. Would you describe your early journey in this field as an emotionally driven mission?
{{/usCountry}}Dr Umesh Jindal: During my early years of service, I saw firsthand how women facing infertility were often blamed, ostracised and cruelly labelled as 'banjh' or barren. It was heartbreaking to witness how society reduced their identity to a condition they had no control over, treating them as lesser beings within their own families. What made it even more painful was knowing that in many cases, it was later found that the cause lay with the male partner, yet women bore the entire blame. This social stigma was not just unfair but deeply damaging both emotionally and mentally.
Q. As a fertility expert offering IVF treatment, what kind of societal or cultural resistance did you face?
{{/usCountry}}Dr Umesh Jindal: During my early years of service, I saw firsthand how women facing infertility were often blamed, ostracised and cruelly labelled as 'banjh' or barren. It was heartbreaking to witness how society reduced their identity to a condition they had no control over, treating them as lesser beings within their own families. What made it even more painful was knowing that in many cases, it was later found that the cause lay with the male partner, yet women bore the entire blame. This social stigma was not just unfair but deeply damaging both emotionally and mentally.
Q. As a fertility expert offering IVF treatment, what kind of societal or cultural resistance did you face?
{{/usCountry}}Dr Umesh Jindal: At the outset of my journey, what stood out most was not open resistance but a prevailing silence and unwillingness to confront the reality of infertility. Couples, especially women, were hesitant to acknowledge infertility openly, fearing social judgment and being seen as incomplete or incapable. Many believed in myths or relied on unscientific remedies rather than seeking medical help. There was also a cultural hesitation around discussing reproductive health, making it challenging to introduce new technologies like IVF. Women often faced pressure from families to conceive quickly, and if they could not, the blame rested squarely on their shoulders. Even when couples were informed, many still hesitated to visit a clinic out of fear that their community or family would find out, choosing instead to suffer quietly rather than risk being identified with infertility. Those who gathered the courage often visited under changed names or disguised their identities, arriving at odd hours or through secret routes.
As a practitioner, I have also faced resistance and scepticism from peers and society alike. Questions were raised about the morality of IVF and whether such science should be pursued, but I remained committed to my belief that this was both ethical and necessary.
Q. Has the mindset or perception towards IVF in India evolved since then?
Dr Umesh Jindal: There is a world of difference today in how IVF is perceived. Acceptance has grown, awareness is far more profound, and couples now approach fertility treatment as a proactive health choice rather than a hidden or shameful last resort. Patients are better informed, ask the right questions and expect ethical, transparent care aligned with global standards.
Q. In what ways has your work contributed to women's empowerment through reproductive healthcare?
Dr Umesh Jindal: Creating access to ethical, evidence-based fertility care has given women the ability to reclaim control over their reproductive choices without fear or stigma. Infertility often strips women of autonomy, reducing their identity to societal labels that are both unfair and damaging. Offering solutions like IVF, egg freezing and genetic screening has allowed many to approach motherhood as an empowered choice rather than a pressured obligation. Equally important is counselling, which helps women navigate not just treatment but also the emotional journey associated with it. Across thousands of cases, the most significant impact has been watching women walk in burdened by silence and walk out as confident individuals who have taken ownership of their health, decisions and dignity through informed reproductive care.
Q. Looking back at 40 years in the field, what have been some of the most significant breakthroughs or turning points for you?
Dr Umesh Jindal: Delivering North India’s first IVF baby in 1996 marked a defining moment that demonstrated the power of persistent effort backed by science to turn possibility into reality. Likewise, introducing genetic screening techniques like PGT-HLA and PGT-SR brought new hope for families dealing with inherited conditions such as thalassemia. Similarly, advancing embryo freezing through vitrification made treatments more adaptable and outcomes more consistent. Expanding care by partnering with hospitals across smaller cities also helped take quality services closer to people without compromising standards. Building structured training programs and hosting seminars for embryologists has been equally crucial because growing the field with skilled and ethical professionals ensures continuity. These milestones together represent a single consistent goal, making fertility care not just a clinical pursuit but a deeply human commitment to restoring hope, dignity and possibility.
Q. Can you share a life-changing success story that captures the emotional essence of IVF and its impact on a family?
Dr Umesh Jindal: One case that profoundly captures the emotional essence of IVF was when a couple approached us in 2019 with a concrete and deeply moving hope. Their first child suffered from thalassemia major, and they wished not only for another baby but for a healthy sibling who could one day save their elder child through a bone marrow transplant. It was not a simple IVF journey. We had to repeat the entire process three times to carefully create a sufficient pool of 16 to 18 embryos, thereby increasing the chances of finding at least one embryo that was both HLA-matched and free from thalassemia. This involved countless injections, meticulous genetic screening through PGT-HLA, and months of resilience from both the couple and our team. Against immense odds, only one viable embryo matched both criteria. That single chance led to the birth of a healthy baby in April 2024. It was a moment that reaffirmed the true purpose of what we do.
