A physician has revealed when couples should seek medical intervention for infertility.
The public health physician, Dr Anire Chima-Oduko said the right time to seek medical intervention for infertility is six months.
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Dr Chima-Oduko said couples who have had unprotected sex for six months and failed to conceive should seek medical intervention for infertility.
World Health Organisation defines infertility as a disease that makes a male or female incapable of conceiving after 12 months of unprotected sex.
Usually, sex is regular during this period but people within the reproductive age are unable to conceive.
The WHO said that infertility affects millions of people within the reproductive age. This condition could affect their families and communities.
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“Estimates suggest that between 48 million couples and 186 million individuals live with infertility globally,” WHO says.
Dr Chima-Oduko has advised couples trying to conceive to seek medical intervention after six months.
She said that medically, infertility is only established after a couple has failed to conceive for one year. It would be easier to conceive if they seek medical intervention after six months.
Dr Chima-Oduko said this on Thursday in a chat with City FM radio.
She said, “Couples should not wait too long before starting infertility treatment. I will even say they should see help after trying for six months without result.”
The doctor emphasized team efforts in treating infertility. She said that the couple shouldn’t see it as a problem for the couple, not for the husband or wife.
“There are different reasons for infertility. In women, it could be as a result of a hormonal problem, tubal blockage, or even due to fibroid among other reasons.
“In men, it is also a physiological process. A man must have sperm of good quality. That is sperm of good volume and motility. So, anything that affects sperm production in men can cause infertility.
“That’s why we always caution men against smoking, using recreational drugs and wearing boxers that are too tight because they can affect sperm production.
“There are also cases of men with undescended testes. This can also cause infertility. However, seminal fluid analysis is always required to ascertain the quality of sperm,” she said.
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She noted that there are majorly two types of infertility:
Dr Chima-Oduko describes primary infertility as the inability to achieve pregnancy. She described secondary infertility as the inability to achieve pregnancy after first achieving it.
She urged persons dealing with infertility to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“What should be done is to first address lifestyle issues. A woman should avoid smoking just like men should avoid it.
“Women should also avoid recreational drugs like men. Also, women should watch their weight. This is because being overweight or underweight can be a factor for infertility,” she said.
Source: PUNCH HealthWise
