Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Prof Adebayo Adeniyi, has disclosed that poorly treated infection can prevent a woman from conceiving.
Adeniyi, who is the Medical Director of Olives Fertility Centre, Ado Ekiti, identified infections as the commonest cause of tube blockage, which in turn prevents a woman from becoming pregnant.
The medical expert, who said that poorly treated pelvic infections had far-reaching consequences, including infertility, advised seeking medical attention at hospitals rather than self-medication.
He spoke in Ado Ekiti over the weekend, while speaking on the latest delivery of a 60-year-old woman, who conceived at the centre through In-Vitro Fertilisation.
Adeniyi said, “IVF is used as the last resort when a woman has tried several times and is unable to conceive. We say a woman is unable to achieve pregnancy on her own if she has tried to for two years with her husband and they have sexual intercourse regularly. For some of them, we can identify the problem and correct it. For some of them, no matter what we do, they cannot.”
On causes of delay for some women to get pregnant and how it can be prevented, the medical expert said, “The commonest cause is the blockage of the tubes, which is usually due to previous infections and poorly treated infections in a woman. Those infections commonly referred to as toilet disease are actually pelvic infections usually contracted from unprotected sexual intercourse.
“Such infections may affect and block the tubes, which are very tiny in calibre. When a woman has such an infection, which is really common, the first symptom may be abnormal vaginal discharge.
“The prevention we usually talk about for those who can do it before getting married is sexual abstinence. But here we are not preaching abstinence too much because we know that may be rather hypocritical, as some people may not be able to practice abstinence. So, we preach the use of condoms.”
Adeniyi further described condoms as “two-edged swords” which protect individuals against infections and also unwanted pregnancies.
“But unfortunately, close to 80 per cent of unmarried young people do not use a condom during sexual intercourse in our society today. When women have an infection, instead of going to the hospital where they can be investigated and treated, they go to buy drugs which may not treat it or treat it partially. Those who have an infection should go to the proper place (hospitals) for treatment,” he added.
The medical expert said that the centre had produced 123 babies, including 20 sets of twins and eight sets of triplets, through IVF between October 2019 and now.
Credit: punchng.com
