An obstetrician/gynaecologist and managing director, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, has expressed concern over the declining sperm parameter, while identifying environmental factors as part of the possible cause of male infertility.

A man is considered infertile when he is not able to impregnate a woman who is fertile, after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.

Abayomi, who spoke virtually during the 10 years anniversary of the Abuja Nordica Fertility Centre, noted that 40 – 60 per cent of infertility cases are linked to men, while identifying other possible causes of male infertility as infection, surgery, trauma, etc.

He said “Men now are probably the greater culprits in infertility. The male factor is increasing globally and Nigerian is not an exception. When we look at sperm count 10 years apart, we noticed that there was a decline in the sperm count of the men that we were treating 10 years later.

“There is a part of the country where it’s probably worst; the oil producing areas. We did a study and we saw that male infertility is common in the Niger Delta due to environmental factors.

“Men are becoming extinct but the good thing is that technology is helping. The only cause that is reversible is the life style issues.”

On treatment, Abayomi said it is only very few men that drugs are beneficial to, adding that for the majority of men, drugs most of the time is a waste of time. “So what we can do for them is In Vitro fertilization (IVF),” he explained.

He said over 3,500 children have been born through IVF in Nordica Fertility Centre, noting that infertility industry in the country had grown.

The fertility expert said there has been a lot of advancement in the fertility industry. “You can get almost anything you want to in the world in the fertility sphere in Nigeria.

One of the things that will help us with improvement is to make sure that there is control, regulation, so that we can reduce quackery, reduce unfounded claims. That is one of the things that is still pervading.

“We need a guideline, framework under which we can practice the very good and noble act of our system conception.”