6.1 NEED FOR STUDY:

Female infertility is a significant health concern affecting a large number of women worldwide. It is defined as the inability of a couple to conceive even after one or more years of unprotected sexual intercourse (1).

The causes of female infertility are multifaceted and can include issues with the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, and the endocrine system. 

Infertility can have profound psychological impacts, often leading to emotional stress, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. 

Since years long infertility in female is not merely a disease but a social stigma or curse for the suffering women. The painful cry of the suffering women from mental torture, criticism, humiliation, abuse (physical, mental, and verbal) and helplessness could only be heard by true physician, who is believed as an incarnation of almighty. Systems of medicines, whatever that may be the patients in this case need only a child, to be freed from the ‘curse’ of barrenness.

The purpose of repertory is to facilitate the search for the most similar remedy or remedies corresponding to a given set of symptoms. There are many repertories. To use them effectively, their structure, historical and evolutionary developments must be thoroughly studied before we can utilize them properly.

Utilizing Repertory like Kent’s Characteristic Repertory, in treatment of infertility in female, as infertility is multifactorial causative, there may be causes like physiological, pathological, and psychical disturbance which leading to couple, who cannot achieve their goal of conceiving (2). As Kent’s Characteristic Repertory helps to find some psychical (mental general causative factor); to find Physical and Pathological causative factor, for identifying causes and treating female infertility.

Thus, To Study “EFFICACY OF HOMOEOPATHY IN TREATING CASES OF FEMALE INFERTILITY USING KENT REPERTORY” is an effort in this direction to study causative and physiological, pathological, and psychical causes for female infertility.

6.2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

Homoeopathy is a system of medicine that treats the individual, considering the mental, emotional, physical, and constitutional aspects of the person. Homoeopathy aims to stimulate the natural healing power of the body and restore the balance of the vital force. Homoeopathic treatment is based on the principle of "like cures like.” (3)

Female infertility is defined as the inability of a couple to conceive even after one or more years of unprotected sexual intercourse. (1) Infertility can be primary, where the couple has never conceived, or secondary, where the couple has conceived at least once but is now unable to do so.

The causes of female infertility are multifaceted and can include issues with the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, and the endocrine system. The most common cause is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (1), a hormonal disorder prevalent among reproductive-aged women. Other risk factors include smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption, advanced maternal age, sexually transmitted infections, and certain lifestyle factors.

Infertility can have profound psychological impacts, often leading to emotional stress, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. It can also strain relationships, sometimes resulting in divorce.

Female infertility can be diagnosed by a physical examination, medical history, and various tests to check the reproductive organs and hormones. Depending on the cause, female infertility can be treated with medications, surgery, or assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). The success rate of treatment depends on many factors, such as the age of the woman, the type and severity of the infertility, and the quality of the sperm. (2)

Homoeopathic treatment for female infertility is safe, natural, and effective, as it addresses the root cause of the problem and not just the symptoms. Homoeopathic treatment can help to regulate the hormonal levels, improve the ovarian function, enhance the quality of the eggs and the cervical mucus, reduce inflammation and infection, and increase the chances of conception. Homoeopathic treatment can also help to improve the mental and emotional state of the woman and her partner, by reducing stress, anxiety, depression, etc.

Kent repertory is one of the most widely used repertories in homoeopathy. It is a comprehensive and systematic collection of symptoms and their corresponding remedies, arranged in a logical order. Kent repertory is based on the philosophy of Kent, who emphasized the importance of generals over particulars, and mental symptoms over physical symptoms. Kent repertory has 37 chapters, covering various aspects of human health and disease.

Kent repertory can be used as a tool to find the most suitable homoeopathic remedy for female infertility cases. The homoeopathic physician can use Kent repertory to analyse the case history of the woman and her partner and elicit the characteristic symptoms that are peculiar to them.

• TYPOGRAPHY:

In Repertory of Homoeopathic Materia Medica with word index by Dr. J. T. Kent, here grading of symptoms as follow: (4)

ï‚  Bold                3

ï‚  Italics               2

ï‚  Roman             1

• REMEDIES: 648 remedies

• CHAPTERS: 37 Chapters

Study does not limit prescription up to therapeutics—it is based on individualization according to organon of medicine by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, so utilizing whole of Kent’s repertory help to address female infertility from root cause.

According to Dr. Hahnemann, if the physician clearly perceives what is curative in medicine, that is to say, knowledge of medicinal powers; then the health must ensue, and the sick must be restored to healthy state. (3) So, this research will help us to identify the power to medicine to produce certain set of symptoms in the healthy state and by applying the law of similia, the indicated remedy can also cure it. Kent’s concept of Mental general (5) as cause & Physical general as effects gives clear indication of medicinal power and its sphere of action. Studying this will give great insight in treating the various female infertility cases with homoeopathy.

6.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY:

• To study Utility of Kent’s Repertory in treatment of Female infertility.

• To study “Efficacy of homoeopathic treatment of female infertility”

7 MATERIAL  AND  METHODS:

7.1 SOURCES OF DATA:

• PROJECT SITE – Cases will be taken from outpatient department and in-patient department of C. D. Pachchigar college of homoeopathic medicine, Surat.

• Peripheral OPD of C. D. Pachchigar college of homoeopathic medicine, Surat.

7.2 MATERIALS:

1. College O.P.D. Standard Case taking Performa.

2. Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica by J. T. Kent.

3. Computer software ; Zomeo.

4. Journals, websites, Organon of Medicine and Homoeopathic Philosophy books Materia Medica, Reference books, Repertories.

5. Patient information sheet.

Patient consent sheet.

7.3 METHOD OF COLLECTION OF DATA:

1. The study shall be performed in following ways:

2. Type of study: Clinical Experimental Study

3. Method of sampling: Purposive sampling

4. Collection of data from informed consent 

5. Examination of patient as per requirement of case

6. Diagnosis based on clinical history and as per required investigation.

7. Sample size: 30 

8. Duration of study: 09 months

Inclusion criteria:

1. Female patient Age group between 18 to 40 years.

2. Cases of PCOD, Endometriosis & Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases, Unexplained Infertility of Psychological (mental) causes.

3. Primary & Secondary Infertility

Exclusion criteria:

1. Cases which having other causes like congenital defect of female genitalia.

2. Cases which having organic disease like tubal blockage.

3. Women whose husband’s semen analysis is abnormal.

FOLLOW UP CRITERIA:

1. After 15 days, can vary according to requirement.

WITHDRAWAL CRITERIA:

1. Any complications which may arrive after the starting of treatment, Investigator may terminate the research on patient, regardless of his consent.

2. Patient not willing to continue the treatment can withdraw at any time with proper information to the investigator.

METHODS:

• Patients will be selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.

• Data collection instrument: standardized case records of College OPD.

• Settings: OPD of C. D. Pachchigar college of homoeopathic medicine, Surat & Peripheral OPD associated with college.

• Population: women visiting the Obstetrics & Gynecology OPD for infertility treatment.

• Patient were analyzed using investigation like Ultrasonography of abdomen & pelvis, Hysterosalpingography and Diagnostic Laparoscopy as and when required before and after treatment.

• Case taking will be done as per the instructions given by Dr. Hahnemann in aphorisms 83 – 104 in Organon of Medicine (6th edition).

• After proper analysis and evaluation of symptoms of the case, Totality of symptoms will be formed. 

• Similimum remedy will be selected from Utilizing Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica by Dr. J. T. Kent.

• Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica by Dr. J. T. Kent. as per totality of symptoms by using manual or computer reperterization.

• Potency and Dose – The remedies will be used in different potencies and repetition as per the requirement.

• Remedy will be administered in various potencies depending on the case. All the medicines will be administered through oral, sublingual route.

• Record – patient’s history, report and follow up will be kept in record.

• Data Analysis. 

RESPONSE WILL BE ANALYSED IN FOLLOWING WAY:

• Significant Improvement – when UPT test were positive for pregnancy & Antenatal USG confirmed live intrauterine gestational sac.

• Status quo – when there no conception or UPT test were negative.

7.4 DOES  THE  STUDY  REQUIRING ANY  INVESTIGATION  TO  BE CONDUCTED  ON  PATIENTS  OR OTHER  HUMANS  OR  ANIMALS? YES

7.5 HAS ETHICAL CLEARENCE BEEN OBTAINED FROM YOUR INSTITUTE? YES

8. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. DUTTA DC. D C DUTTA’S TEXTBOOK OF GYNECOLOGY. In KONAR HK, editor..: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd; NOVEMBER 2013.

2. invitra.com. [Online]. Available from: www.invitra.com.

3. Hahnemann S. Organon of Medicine. 6th ed.: Indian Books & Periodicals Publishers.

4. Tiwari SK. Essential of Reperterization. 6th ed. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 2022.

5. Kent JT. Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 2022.

6. Khanaj VR. Reperire - Repertory simplified. 5th ed. New Delhi: Indian Books & Periodicals Publishers; OCT-2018.