10 Facts To Protect Your Fertility

Children and having children is by far one of the most widely attested sources of joy in marriage. It is indeed good to have a wonderful wedding and dream of a great marriage. But after that what next, especially when there is delayed conception?

It is instructive to note that about one in every couple in Nigeria have issues with conception or attaining pregnancy. This has made fertility problem one of the commonest scourge people battle with. Besides the emotional torture, the low self-esteem it evokes due to societal perception of childlessness and the pains of contending with in-laws infertility could also frustrate or overwhelm ones finances and general attitude and well-being.

This is why we need to decisively take steps to protect our fertility even from tender ages and long before we get married. This is what we need to know and to do:

1.         If you are a woman, avoid multiple sex partners. Having more than one sex partner increases the danger of pelvic infection and damaged tubes.

2.         Women should shun pre-marital sex since this usually leads to unwanted pregnancies and abortions which lead to complicated infections and damage to tubes.

3.         Badly or inadequately treated sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in both male and female could lead to damaging infertility problems. Any sign or symptom of STD must be properly treated and resolved.

4.         At birth, male children should be examined to ascertain whether or not the infant have undescended testes to ensure early correction or remedy.

5.         MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccines should be given to infants to prevent mumps infection. This infection is connected with the late development of male infertility.

6.         Women should not rush to have fibroid or ovarian cysts operation just because they are discovered. Adequate and appropriate medical counsel should be obtained before accepting to do operation because about 30% of women develop scar tissue following such operations which could damage ones tubes.

7.         Women who are yet to give birth should essentially avoid the use of intra-uterine contraceptive devices (IUCD) when planning to apply any type of contraceptive.

8.         Women should not leave planning for pregnancy too late because the woman's fertility is reasonably affected by her age. As a woman advances in age, she becomes less fertile with the rate falling sharply after 35 years.

9.         As a woman, you must prepare for your pregnancy. This calls for equipping yourself with information and knowledge about pregnancy. It is a time to take your 400mg Folic Acid and vitamins. You must not neglect regular medical check-ups; and you should develop a positive mental attitude because pregnancy is demanding too.

10.       Eating of balanced diet helps couples to stay healthy. Smoking, drugs, and all other unhealthy habits must be shunned. Regular exercise is recommended as this greatly reduces the effect of stress.

Sourced & Adapted from a resource material of The Bridge Clinic - www.thebridgeclinic.com