80% Infertility Cases Preventable, Says Expert


Posted on: Wed 11-11-2020

A professor of Anatomy and Consultant Reproductive Endocrinologist, Oladapo Ashiru, has said noted that 80 per cent of infertility cases are preventable. Ashiru, at his 70th birthday symposium held at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said there was the need to raise the awareness on the causes of infertility.

The theme of the symposium which was jointly organised by Merck Foundation in partnership with the Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, International Federation of Fertility Societies and MART Group, was, ‘Frontiers in Reproductive Medicine.’

“I realise that there is the need for the government to introduce policies that will affect the problems in the environment; the media, the ‘town and gown’ can come together and host platforms like this to educate everybody about the impact of the environment on infertility. We do know that almost 80 per cent of infertility cases are preventable.

Speaking on the topic, ‘Reproductive Endocrine Disruptors and Environmental Toxins,’ Prof. Linda Guidice, listed pesticides, cosmetics, preservatives and sanitisers as some of the environmental reproductive toxicants.

She said, “Reproductive toxicants are naturally occurring man-made agents or byproducts of human activity that interfere with normal reproductive capacity and outcomes.

“Environmental chemicals cross borders through trade, food, wind, and water and there are inequities and injustices in how toxic chemicals move about the world.

 “Systematic review of cohort studies shows associations between specific endocrine-disrupting chemicals exposures, reproductive potential and outcomes of women undergoing In vitro fertilisation.”

Source: Punch