Being able to get pregnant is a big part of the marriage institution, especially in the Nigerian cultural context and that is the main reason why infertility is associated with a lot of negative psychosocial and other consequences such as stigma, deprivation and neglect, violence, marital problems and mental health issues.
No doubt, infertility, the inability of couple to conceive after many years of trying or after trying for six months when one is above 35 years, is increasing in recent time.
For instance, a study titled: „Use and pattern of previous care received by infertile Nigerian women,“ revealed that infertility is prevalent worldwide affecting about five to eight per cent of couples, adding that the prevalence of infertility in sub-Saharan Africa is higher, with 10 to 30 per cent of couples affected in Nigeria.
What are the causes of infertility and how can one improve her chances of getting pregnant? The managing director, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi told LEADERSHIP that the thought regarding infertility is that the problem lies within the woman‘s physiology, as their reproductive organs can be easily damaged than that of men.
„However, about 40 per cent of the time, infertility is due to a male factor, leaving 60 per cent to women and in 20 per cent, the two parties are responsible.
“Also, the problem rests mostly with populations where women have contracted a sexually transmitted disease in the past, or they have delayed child bearing for reasons known to them. Physical causes for infertility in women include scarring on the cervix, uterus or tubes; blocked tubes and problems with ovulation or the menstrual cycle,“ Ajayi revealed.
For the male, the medical doctor said male organs are easily damaged by mumps and swelling of the testicles which can cause a lower sperm counts.
For couples desperately trying to conceive, any additional help they can receive is a relief, Ajayi averred, while encouraging this set of couples to maintain a healthy lifestyles and have a lot of sex, especially during ovulation window.
Speaking on ovulation window, the fertility expert stated that, „A lot of women don’t know when they are ovulating. The fertile window of a woman in the 30 days cycle is five days before the day of her ovulation, and 24 hours of the last day of her ovulation. After the five days window, the woman would need to wait for the next month, because even if her husband has the best sperm in the world, she will not be able to get pregnant.“
He advised women to use the calendar method to calculate it, adding that, „You are likely to ovulate 12 to 14 days before your next menstruation. There are also different ovulation kits available.“
For those trying to conceive, Ajayi said it is essential they have a balance diet including the consumption of sea foods, fruits, lots of vegetables and reduction in the consumption of fatty food.
“You can also take folic acid even before the pregnancy. Don’t smoke, either tobacco or marijuana products, because it can affect, both the sperm and the egg production of the woman. Alcohol is something you must avoid when you are trying to get pregnant. You must also take café in moderation, if you must take it. As for those who are taking herbs and tea, to lose weight, some of the weight loss herbs can affect your ovulation. If you must use herb, please talk to your doctor,“ he advised.
He however disclosed that there are now new technology that can help tackle infertility, especially male infertility which is increasing worldwide.
“Scientists are now paying more attention on what we called sperm DNA fragmentation. We know that what the sperm is going to contribute to the egg, is the DNA. And if the DNA is already denatured, then the likelihood that the embryo that is going to be form, would not be of good quality.
“So scientists started looking at the fragmentation in-depth of the sperm to see what causes sperm fragmentation, as efforts to tackle male infertility. We have been doing that for like five years at Nordica Fertility Centres. We also have the technology to store eggs and ovarian tissue,“ he averred.
