A fertility expert and Chief Executive Officer of Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, has warned the public against self-medication when they experience delay in conception.
He stated this during a news briefing to mark the 10th anniversary of the Nordica Fertility Centre, Abuja.
He said people should rather visit the hospital and seek help from medical experts, adding that self-medication has negative implications on health.
He said knowing one’s body and taking proper care of it is one of the major ways to maintain fertility.
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Ajayi, who is also the managing director of Fibroid Care Centre, said the greatest resource that people have is their bodies.
“It is a shame that some people know much about their cars but don’t know much about their bodies. You must know much about your bodies, especially women.
“We need to manage the body properly; know what you can eat and not eat, among others. It is also your right to explain how you feel about your body to the doctor,” he said.
While saying the Abuja centre of the hospital has recorded many successes and challenges in the last 10 years, he said his organisation is planning a seminar with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on legislation for assisted conception.
He said there is quackery in the practice of assisted reproductive technology in the country.
He said there is currently no law governing assisted conception in Nigeria.
“It is just under the National Health Act. The fact that there is no law for assisted conception is a big lacuna. We have been practising Invitro Fertilisation for over 20 years. I think it is high time that we have it.
“Lagos State is the only state with guidelines on assisted conception, and that was launched in 2019 together with the association for reproductive health which had a lot of input in it,” he said.
Ajayi said attempts to legislate for assisted conception in 2012, and 2016 failed because the stakeholders in the field were not involved.
He said the country needs legislation for assisted conception to protect the community, and the people who are making use of the services, as well as to ensure ethical and legal backup to advancements that would be made.
“Because there is no law right now, anybody can just stand up to set up an IVF centre but what Lagos has done is to set up minimum standards.
“Enforcement is another matter but there are guidelines. That is why we are trying to get legislation to govern the practice.”
He added that it might not be achieved in a day but the journey towards it could start.
The fertility expert also said it is not every fibroid that requires surgery, adding that there are now other non-invasive options like High Intensity Focus Ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of fibroids.
He said HIFU converts ultrasound into heat energy, saying, it is like killing the fibroid without really touching it.
He said, “We heat the cells to a particular temperature and it de-natures. Thereby killing the fibroid.
“The machine is very expensive. We are hoping we are able to do something in Abuja, especially in the direction of HIFU because fibroid is everywhere.
“We have done over 200 cases in Lagos within the space of not up to 18 months. There is no way you will be doing surgery and you will be able to do up to that, which is another thing, the ease and the convenience for both the doctor and the patient. I think it is also a welcome development.”
