VIDEO | Against infertility and demographic winter the Lazio Region launches ‘The Stork’s Nest’
The campaign at San Filippo Neri will allow ovarian screening also with campers 'on the road' and cryopreservation of gametes
ROME – “The average age of women who have their first child in Lazio is 32.9 years. Accessing services on fertility and medically assisted procreation (PMA) does not just mean having a good gynecologist but being able to count on a team, multidisciplinarity, paths and, last but not least, psychological support. I have found the funds for the oncology psychologist, I am working to obtain it also for women who face this path”. Thus the president of the Lazio Region Francesco Rocca at the press conference presenting this morning in Rome the project ‘The stork’s nest’, an initiative to promote birth rates through a screening and fertility preservation campaign, financed by regional funds for ART centres.
“The ‘The Stork’s Nest’ project – continues Rocca – concerns San Filippo Neri and is a path that is in continuity with that of excellence of San Filippo Neri”. assures the Governor, who then, regarding the guidelines approved yesterday by the ministry on assisted procreation, declares: “We will comply with them meticulously”.
THE PLAN: OVARIAN COUNT ‘ON THE ROAD’ AND CRYOPRESERVATION OF EGGS
“Why worry about the birth rate? Becausethe young-elderly ratio is 1 to 7, and soon this imbalance will create problems for us. Those who are saving us are the migrant people. But our country remains between the first in Europe for birth rate. With this campaign we therefore promote services for conscious reproduction and prevention actions on fertility: we know that environmental factors affect fertility – including smoking, alcohol and sexual habits – which is why it is necessary to intersect the subjects”. This is said by Giuseppe Quintavalle, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Roma 1 Local Health Authority. Quintavalle continues by urging “all prevention departments of companies but also of the territory to deal with the issue”.
What does the plan consist of? “We provide free ovarian reserve counting with blood sampling both at San Filippo and through traveling campersin our cities and provinces. Women will also be able to access preservation through cryopreservation of oocytes. strong> We have also increased the number of beds to 500 and signed the authorization for the new head doctors this morning to eliminate the problem of acting assistants”.
DATA SHOWS THAT FEMALE FERTILITY IS DECLINING
The project, as explained by Dr. Arianna Pacchiarotti, director of the San Filippo Neri Pma Center, is a project that “arises from the observation of the demographic change of women who access the Pma. In recent years, in fact, there has been an increase in the use of the techniques in patients under 37 years of age is exponential, indicating a drastic reduction in the woman’s fertility. This – continues the manager – is reflected in an increase in the use of gamete donation, which also comes from other nations , which involves an important phenotype change in the new generation. The project therefore aims to reduce the use of the technique and guarantee women destined for early menopause to be able to conceive children with their own genetic makeup”.
Therefore, the speakers conclude, the project aims to reduce the use of heterologous assisted fertilization techniques, identify patients early through a screening of the ovarian reserve, plan a pregnancy in times suited to one’s problem, access preservation prevention of fertility with the possibility of cryopreservation of one’s oocytes, in order to defer the pregnancy project from the ovarian age.
The event was also attended as testimonials by the couple Raoul Bova and Rocío Muñoz Morales, then Rosanna Banfi and the daughter Virginia Leoni.
BALDASSARRE: “IN 2024 WOMEN STILL CANNOT BE FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN WORK AND FAMILY”
“In 2024, women must not find themselves forced to choose between work and family again. This is why it is essential to support the birth rate. Everything that focuses on this demographic winter and the latest Istat data, which indicate a further decline in births and the fertility rate puts women in a position to truly be able to choose, even to carry on with a pregnancy”. This is what Simona Baldassarre declared to Dire in the margin of the presentation of the project. “For us – assures Baldassarre – helping pathological situations but also making women understand that having children is important, having them early, perhaps to have the possibility of having the second and third, is fundamental”.
ROCIO MUNOZ: THE CHALLENGE OF TODAY IT IS SUPPORT FOR FERTILITY AND MOMS
“Projects like ‘The Stork’s Nest’ are very important, especially in this phase, in which little is said about birthrates and fertility, which unfortunately are frequent problems. As a mother, I believe that mothers should be supported. The path of motherhood it must be supported. It is important to talk about infertility.” Rocío Muñoz Morales, actress and former model, declared this to Dire. With her partner Raoul Bova – with whom she had two daughters – she lent her face as a testimonial to the ‘The Stork’s Nest’ project, presented this morning to the Lazio Region, which aims to promote screening and prevention of fertility and birthrates.
” For me, being a mother was a great challenge, but there are also great fears, so it is important to face it with the right professionals who know how to give support”, she concludes.
