A Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, Dr Adesumbo Odeseye, has urged couples to stop blaming women for infertility, saying medical evidence shows that men and women contribute almost equally to fertility challenges. She made the call during a webinar organised by The Covenant Nation, Isolo Medical Unit, stressing that infertility should be approached as a shared couple’s health issue.
Odeseye said male factors account for about 30 per cent of infertility cases, while female factors contribute another 30 per cent, with other causes accounting for about 20 per cent and some 10 per cent remaining unexplained after medical evaluation. She noted that conception involves several organs and biological processes and is not solely dependent on the woman’s womb.
The medical director of KAAF Specialist Hospital at the University of Lagos also warned that previous successful pregnancies do not guarantee future fertility. She said age is an important factor, particularly for women, with ovarian function declining from around age 35 and fertility generally reducing more rapidly after 40. She advised couples struggling to conceive to seek proper medical assessment rather than rely on assumptions.
Odeseye also dismissed concerns that modern contraception causes permanent infertility, saying most contraceptive methods allow fertility to return after discontinuation. She noted that implants, intrauterine devices, condoms and other long-acting reversible methods do not permanently impair fertility, although some contraceptive injections may temporarily delay its return.
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