How Nigerians can preserve their fertility, by expert

A fertility expert, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, has stressed the need to educate Nigerians right from the primary school on how to retain their fertility.Ajayi said infertility is very expensive to manage and attributed the rising cases of infertility to lifestyle; climate change use technologies that affect sperm count among others.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), infertility affects up to 15 per cent of reproductive-aged couples worldwide. WHO demographic studies show that in sub-Saharan Africa, more than 30 per cent of women aged 25–49 suffer from secondary infertility, the failure to conceive after an initial first pregnancy.

In Nigeria, there has been a general belief that women are at fault for any case of infertility. However, there are indications that male infertility seems to be on the rise.Several studies have shown that infertility takes physical, emotional, and financial toll on couple in their journey to parenthood.

Speaking at a Fertility Forum organised by Fertility Support Group Africa on the Facebook, Ajayi who is thee Managing Director of the Nordica Fertility Clinic, cautioned against the use of various fertility boosters being sold in the markets stressing that there is nothing like sperm or egg booster.

He noted that women of 35 years old and above should not stay too long before seeking treatment, adding that if there is no conception after six months of marriage, they should seek for treatment from qualified medical personnel in an accredited medical facility. Ajayi explained that Body Mass Index (BMI), alcohol, hard drugs and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) could affect fertility, stressing that couples that are faced with infertility must avoid smoking and if alcohol must be taken, it must be moderate. “They should limit cycling, and avoid being overweight and men must ensure that they use cotton under wears,” he said.

According to him, “Men who are faced with infertility should if possible avoid some vocations such as paint industry, filling stations due to volatile organic compounds which affects male fertility.”Her said, “Male factor infertility might be on the increase, sperm count appear to be decreasing. We tried to compare the sperm count ten years previously and ten years now and what we found was a huge decrease.
On treatment for infertility, Ajayi said, “Lifestyle modification, diet, stop cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, exercise, weight reduction, treat infections, regular intercourse, conventional fertility treatment, tubal surgery, ovulation induction and artificial insemination. Infertility is a phase of life but the decisions you make is what you will live with.”