Nigeria Has 20% Unexplained Infertility, Says Expert

Fertility expert and president of Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health (AFTH), Dr Ibrahim Wada, has described certain cases of childlessness among couples as “unexplained infertility.” He said modern science cannot pinpoint what is wrong in these cases which is about 20 percent of infertility cases in Nigeria.

Wada, who is also the founder of Nisa Medical Group, stated this at a press briefing in commemoration of the World Fertility Day in Abuja at the weekend.
He said 30 percent of infertility issues are from men, 30 percent from women, approximately 15 percent are mixed, meaning that both the men and the women have one issue or the other while 20 per cent cannot be explained.

On the causes of infertility, Wada said, “The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) clearly recognised infertility as a disease. They say people should view the cause as half for the man and half for the woman.

“Most times, all the attention is on the woman, so we have explained that men can have a problem with their semen; either with few sperm, no sperm or they are not moving and things like that. We also said for the women, there could be something wrong with her producing the eggs, maybe something is wrong with her transport system. We said in certain cases, modern science cannot pinpoint what is wrong so we call that unexplained infertility.”

He identified some social factors associated with low sperm count such as smoking, drinking of alcohol and work environment.
On treatment, he said, “We know that a lot can be done without fertility treatment, but a segment of them can only benefit from advanced treatment like In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).”

The expert however said that counselling is a critical aspect of reproduction health services, adding that the membership of AFRH consists of counsellors, gynecologists, general practitioners, nurses, embryologists, and sonographers with interest in infertility and assisted reproductive technology.

He said the focus of the association is on safe fertility practice within the ethical realm, to ensure clinics are up to standards.
World Infertility Awareness Month is celebrated every June to increase awareness regarding numerous infertility issues faced by couples across the globe.