The advance of technology is changing things and innovation in healthcare must be oriented towards facilitating processes for patients. Telemedicine is gaining ground thanks to the wide range of possibilities offered by advances in communication by e-mail and fast messaging. There are more and more consultations by videoconference, the patients of our center can see online the development of their embryos after In Vitro Fertilization and, now, we can already talk about “telesemen”. This is a simple protocol that we have already implemented and with which anyone without any previous medical training can freeze their sperm outside the laboratory. The results are the same as those obtained by expert biologists.
We have also incorporated “personality matching” for In Vitro Fertilization treatments with egg and/or sperm donation or Artificial Insemination with donor sperm. The objective is to select the most suitable donor for each patient, taking into account not only their physical characteristics, but also the hereditary traits of their character. The future is technological innovation and care for excellence in patient care.
What research is Institut Marquès currently carrying out?
We are specialists in Assisted Reproduction, and as experts in the male factor we give great importance to the study of men in cases of infertility. To this end, we have an Andrology Department and we carry out various studies related to sperm quality.
At the last congress of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) we presented our scientific study on the effect of environmental toxicants on male and female fertility. Previous studies on male fertility, carried out previously by the Institut Marquès in Spain, found a worse semen quality in areas where the presence of these types of chemicals was higher. The results of these studies make it possible to determine the degree of reproductive health of the male population in comparison with the parameters established by the World Health Organization.
Our latest work confirms that chemical toxins have a feminizing effect on our bodies. As this study explains, toxic substances found in our environment, in the environment and in our food, alter the endocrine system and act as female hormones. They are deposited in the fat of animals and humans in such a way that, during pregnancy, they can cause malformations in the genitalia of male offspring and affect the quality of their sperm in the future. On the other hand, it would not affect the gestation of girls, i.e. they do not affect the development of the embryonic/fetal ovary. The male is much more exposed than the female to suffer infertility due to pollutants.
We are also currently investigating whether Covid-19 affects male fertility. We have a campaign underway that we have entitled “Up to the eggs of COVID”, and we have already received hundreds of applications from men interested in participating.
On the other hand, we have just presented at the last congress of the Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SEGO) a study that will revolutionize the criteria for deciding which embryos are suitable for transfer to the womb in Assisted Reproduction treatments.
What advances have been made with regard to gay or LGTBI+ communities who wish to become fathers and mothers?
Just over a year ago, Institut Marquès wanted to make visible its commitment to the LGTBI+ community by launching Rainbow Fertility Barcelona.
Rainbow Fertility Barcelona was born to help even more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people, as well as the rest of sexual and gender diversity, who want to start a family. The main objective of this initiative is to make visible and normalize, eliminate prejudices and ensure good practices for the treatment of sexual, gender and family diversity. This project, which involves the launch of a new brand, with its website and logo, is already present in all Institut Marquès centers and has been presented to the main associations and entities with which it is already collaborating nationally and internationally.
How can these advances help people who wish to become parents and how will it make it easier for them to achieve their desire?
Progress means overcoming obstacles that at the time seemed insurmountable. The secret lies in continuous innovation: the individualization of treatments, offering all the necessary complementary techniques, having our own gamete bank and a laboratory equipped with the latest technology, as well as the best professionals. The proof is that the success rates at Institut Marquès are continually increasing.