Fertility trends in Indian IT sector: A web chat based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: The Indian information technology (IT) industries have continued to be the largest private sector employer till today. The enrolment of women in higher education is about 40%, which signifies that more women are ready to pursue higher education. The job involves good pay packages, pick drops, incentives, personnel management appraisals, and better exposure but at the same time requires constant psychological balance and mental exercises. Thus, keeping these facts in mind, the present study intends to explore the nature of occupational impact on women’s health and to analyze the prevalence of infertility in Indian women working in IT sector. Materials and Methods: This is an observational study, based on a web consultation conducted in June 2016 with the women working in Infosys Ltd; 970 women took part in the chat, and questions were asked regarding the health problems faced by them. On the basis of these questions, an analysis was conducted to explore the health problems in women working in IT sector and prevalence of infertility among them. Results: Out of 970 women, 311 (32%) women were suffering from infertility, and majority (62%) of them were above the age of 30 years. Gynecological problems were also common in these women (28%); amid there, menstrual irregularity was being the most common one (82%). Besides this, polycystic ovarian syndrome was also found in 10% of the participants. Conclusion: It can be concluded that due to multiple factors, the infertility rates are high in women working in IT sector, and an attempt has to be made by timely counseling, avoiding drugs and alcohol abuse to minimize reproductive issues.