A Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr Taofeek Ogunfunmilayo, has urged couples to seek medical advice on issues relating to infertility in order to ascertain the right steps to take.
Ogunfunmilayo, a staff of the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, gave the advice at a public lecture organised by the Ministry of Information and Strategy in Abeokuta on Wednesday.
The expert, who recently took delivery for a 67-year-old woman in Abeokuta, said infertility remains one of the major challenges faced by couples in the country irrespective of socio-economic status.
He said the possibility of men being the cause was 35 percent just as women also contribute by 35 percent.
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According to him, where it affects both couples accounts for 20 percent while the remaining 10 percent could not be explained.
“The likely causes of infertility are as a result of sexually transmitted infections, post-abortion as well as sepsis from the male and female organs.
In the female, if there are infections in the womb, there is a possibility of infertility because it won’t be able to produce eggs.
As a result, the sperm is not likely to meet the eggs for fertilisation when the fallopian tube is blocked.
“In the male organ, the testicles, if exposed to heat, could weaken the capability of the testicles to produce sperm, while the pipe in the male organ, if blocked by infections, will not allow for inflow of the sperm from the testicles to the penis,” Ogunfunmilayo said.
On preventive method, the expert advised parents to always check their sons’ testicles to ensure that they are rightly positioned.
He also advised their female counterparts to avoid abortion and if it must be carried out, should be done by an expert.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Director of Information, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr Waheed Adesina, said the lecture was necessary as a result of increase in cases of infertility in Nigeria.
He added that there was need for workers to identify and attend to their health challenges so as to be more productive at work. (NAN)
