By OLAYINKA LATONA

The sharp rise in infertility cases among Nigerian couples has been blamed on advancing age and untreated microbial infections.

Speaking at a programme organised by Erasmas Concept specially for Nigerian women tagged “Matters of the Heart”, Dr. Naheemdeen Ekemode, a gynecologist and Chief Executive Officer of Ekemode Memorial Hospital & Women’s Infirmary, Lagos said a woman’s fertility drops dramatically around 35.

He added that 25-30 per cent of women above 35 are infertile and that ability to conceive naturally decreases over time as part of the normal aging process.

Speaking on how women can build healthy relationships, he said: “The age range of maximal fertility in women is 20- 24 years. The incidence of infertility during this period is 15 per cent. It increases to 39 per cent at 35 years and 48 per cent between 35 years and 39 years.”

Explaining reasons for the decrease in fertility in women, she further noted that women were born with “fixed number of eggs which deplete in quality and quantity as women age. “This depletion is associated with reduced fertility.”

Another cause of female infertility is linked with Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)- a serious pelvic inflammation that results from untreated vaginal or cervical infections. Such infections, left untreated, enable bacteria to make their way up through the uterus and into the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and surrounding tissues. PID does serious damage to the reproductive tract, often scarring and blocking the fallopian tubes

Ekemode who is also the former Executive Chairman, Lagos State Hospitals Management Board urged government to put in place public enlightenment on infectious diseases, include sex education into the school curriculum adding that pharmaceutical industries should be well monitored by the government.

“Let their be public enlightenment on infection and also let sex education be thought in schools”