Galway Advertiser 1989/1989_02_16/GA_16021989_E1_010.pdf 

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Infertility is a distressing condition that affects about 15% of couples in Ireland. Mary O' Connor speaks to Mr. Fergus Meehan, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist who set up the first fertility clinic in the West, in Galway in 1972.

Telephone Terror
calls,Sergeant Guerin ad vises the recipient to build up evidence against the caller. "She should minutely record the details of every call received, the time, the date and exact words used. Subsequently, all these details would be embodied in a full written statement and given to the gardai with a view to in itiating proceedings to have her telephone tap ped." In extreme cases, the Crime Prevention Officer, recommends using a recording device on the telephone. "But she would need to keep a written record of calls received also."

Infertility -- A Distressing Condition
It is generally accepted that 15% of couples in Ireland ex perience infertility. That's a lot of people, all of whom have been through or are going through a major life crisis - their inability to have their own children. The amount of heartache and suffer ing that this causes is enormous and involves not only the couples themselves but often their parents too, another four people per couple.
Yet for all this, because of the nature of the sub ject, many couples have been inclined until recent times, to keep their infer tility secret. This is why most of us would say, if asked, that we don't know any infertile couples. We do, in fact, but they just don't go around talking about it. should give themselves time, preferably a year or two, before seeking medical advice. But if failure to conceive is upsetting their lives, then they should put the matter in the hands of the medical world. With specialist help, a couple's chances of success are greatly increased.

Fertility Clinic.
Mr. Fergus Meehan, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Galway Regional hospital set up a fertility clinic there in 1972 on his return from Oxford. About 300 pa tients attend the clinic an nually, all referred by local G.P.'s and con sultants from outlying hospitals. A couple is considered to be infertile if after two years of regular inter course, a pregnancy fails to result. This is a condi tion where blame should not be apportioned but con tributory factors are as follows. In 30% of infertile couples, the male partner is likely to be the principle source and in a further 20% he makes a significant contribution. The factors which may lead to infertili ty are many. Pelvic in flammatory disease is a commonly encountered reason contributing to in fertility in women says Mr. Meehan. Appendicectomy - an operation to remove appendix, or a ruptured appendix with associated infection is another factor. En dometriosis, whereby the lining of the womb is deposited outside the uterus and the adhesions

associated with it can be an important factor in in fertility. A commonly en countered reason is unex plained infertility i.e. no cause for the condition be ing found in either partner.

Female Infertility.
Referring to the infertili ty test developed in Galway which determines infertility by saliva analysis, Mr. Meehan says it will provide gynaecologists with more information on some types of female infertiliy. The breakthrough was a joint collaborative work between the Department of Biochemistry in U.CG. and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the Regional hospital, headed by Prof. Pat Fottrell and Mr. Fergus Meehan respectively. The new test allows the patient to monitor herself in her own home. All she needs to do is supply a small sample of saliva each day for a com plete menstrual cycle and then send all the samples to the Regional Hospital for analysis. The pro cedure is very simple and only takes ten minutes. "This test could be used right across the board to determine infertility" stated Mr. Meehan. "It is a very accurate and cost effective diagnostic test and I've no doubt some drug firms are interested in marketing it on a com mercial basis.

Varicose Veins.
Infertility in men may be due to the male not pro ducing sperm-i.e. having contracted mumps during childhood or adulthood, or because of varicose veins on the testicular area known as a Varicocoele which is easily corrected. Couples who fail to achieve a pregnancy re quire investigations, tests and treatment if they wish to have a child. About 30-50% of the infertile couples who attend the clinic, over a matter of time and depending on the cause, will achieve their desire - a pregnancy resulting in a healthy child reveals Mr. Meehan. But he feels that many would have become pregnant if they'd taken their time. The number who attend the clinic is on the increase says the Galway consul tant. "The average age of couples is getting younger and they are seeking medical help sooner, once it begins to worry them." Fergus Meehan reiterates that couples

Sad and Lonely.
People's reactions to the childless are very varied but by and large the im ages they have are highly stereotyped. Many people wrongly think that the in fertile are at best sad and lonely and at worst bitter. The childless couple is often seen as having a dull, lifeless home, full of material things to compen sate for the lack of children. The woman is depicted as hard and career-minded or alter natively pathetic and devoted to animals. The man is portrayed as cold and sexless. These images, are un fair to the vast majority of involuntarily childless couples and are probably typical of very few indeed. Unfortunately, living with other people's preoccupa tions of what being in voluntarily childless is like, is a major part of the problem.

Sgt. Pat Guerin Crime Prevention Officer
A spokesman for the Galway branch of Telecom Eireann said they do not keep a record of the number of obscene calls received. "We advise peo ple who receive nuisance calls to contact the gardai as it is a criminal offence." "Mary " is in her seven ties and lives alone in a rural area. She was woken in the middle of the night recently by the shrill ring ing of the telephone. When she picked it up, a male voice, described explicitly what he wished to do to her. She now lives in terror and trembles everytime she has to answer the telephone. "Mary " is but one of many who receive obscene calls. About 30 people in this country receive such calls every day. But the authorities locally, say that only 20% of calls are reported to them. The callers who inflict this particular sadistic form of terror come from all walks of life. They are sometimes disturbed ac quaintances or kinky strangers who derive perverse pleasure from other peoples discomfort and terror. What To Do If You Get lightweight instrument us ed mainly for news, An Obscene Call. Never speak to the business and caring conversation is also a vehicle caller, and do not listen. If for striking fear into the the calls persist, contact hearts of innocent people. the gardai. Buy a whistle Sgt. Pat Guerin of the and when your crank Galway Garda Crime caller phones, blow the Prevention Unit says that whistle down the phone. most calls have sexual Try to establish who could connotations. He outlines be making the call. It may that a number of in be an ex-boyfriend, an ac dividuals have been con quaintance with a grudge, victed. Punishment for a former employee, even a this offence is by fine or relative. Quite often the caller is known to the imprisonment. "One very important victim. point to consider is that few of these calls are per How To Avoid Threaten sonal and the caller is rarely a dangerous person. ing Calls. His nuisance value is his Never give your name worse aspect, "said Sgt. and number, when Guerin. answering the phone, a "Once off calls can be a chance caller could keep a case of a misdialled note and continue calling number and when a back. If possible, keep woman comes on the line, your telephone number ex the man seizes the oppor directory. If you use an tunity to make an obscene answer-phone, get a man call. The persistent calls you know to rcord the are generally made by so message. Make sure your meone who knows the reci entry in the telephone pient. This can be very directory is assexual. For upsetting particularly if e.g. insert M. Burke in the woman is on her own." stead of Miss. Mary Burke.

Piece Of Plastic. THE FERTILITY TEAM (left to right): Dr. Martha Finn, Dr. Jim Gosling Pat Fottrell, Mr. Don Tallon and Mr. Fergus P. Meehen..

PTOT

PHOTO: MIKE SHAUGHNESSY

Their instrument of tor ture, while tremendously effective, is only a four-bysix-inch piece of plastic-the telephone. This

Record Details.

In a case of continuous

Mary O' Connor.