How much do you know about fertility test for women and men in Nigeria prescribed by RCCG? What kind of tests determines male and female fertility level? Why do we need to measure the fertility index? Is it possible to solve the problem of low fertility? Read on to find out the answers to these questions and learn more about infertility in Nigeria!
Fertility test: prescription of the church
Nigerian society was rocked by the shocking news. In May 2018, the Redeemed Christian Church of God which is widespread not only in Nigeria but around the world, issued an unusual injunction. It says that all the church members intending to marry must confirm their reproductive status. That is, to make fertility or genital test.
What is it: taking care of the health and well-being of their parishioners or interfering with their personal life?
According to the pastors' logic, if the partners are initially aware of each other fertility and genital status, they can make an informed choice whether to create a family with this person. But doctors doubt that fertility test can solve the problem. Firstly, it isn’t cheap to take specific tests and undergo a specialized examination as a routine genitals’ survey is not informative.
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Since we have touched on this topic, let's understand: what is fertility, how can a person learn the man’s and a woman’s fertility. What tests and examinations need to be done, and how can fertility be improved if the problem still exists.
It is called the low fertility (fecundity) of the couple. To find out the reason for infertility in Nigeria, a special test for fertility is carried out.
What you need to know this about fertility
Fertility means the body's ability to conceive offspring. This concept is the opposite of infertility. Human’s fertility is determined at the age of maturity: from 15 to 49 years.
For the female body, the concept of fertility is expressed in the inherent ability to conceive and carry a baby. For a man, this concept implies the ability to fertilize his partner fully.
For fertility determination, special tests are done and according to their results, the fertility degree is determined. It may be: normal, high, low. A person is inclined to produce many offspring with a high degree of fertility, but with low fertility, he or she often suffers from infertility.
It should be understood that male and female fertility are two completely different concepts. With age, the number of women’s ovum decreases. It happens even before a lady gives birth to the first child. At menopause, almost all eggs die, and the woman's fertility is reduced to zero. Besides, with age, women can develop abnormal eggs, so their age plays a significant role.
The most favourable age for women’s conception is the age from 25 to 35 years. The prognosis of female fertility determines whether it’s realistic to become pregnant for a woman or whether it’s necessary to increase the conception probability artificially.
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The man’s sperm is produced throughout his life. Of course, fertile sperm counts decrease with age, but its concentration does not decrease. This means that men can conceive a child even at the age of 70.
Also, with age male testosterone levels decrease. As a result, the fertility index decreases, and the chances of conceiving a child with genetic problems increase.
Even though sperm is produced throughout the life of a man, the quality of it gradually worsens, the amount of ejaculate decreases, the activity of spermatozoa decreases, and it reduces conception’s probability.
Fertility test for women and men in Nigeria
It is obvious that for men and women there are different types of fertility tests. So let's look in details at each of them.
Female fertility test
A medical test for fertility is a traditional Ultrasound examination of internal female genitals. Researching on the 5th-6th day of the menstrual cycle is necessary. Usually, at this moment there is no strong bloody discharge.
With the ovaries ultrasound, information about fertility is measured by their diameters, the number of growing follicles, and the ratio of various ovarian tissues (hormonal and connective). Usually, the ovaries diameters can be from 20 mm to 12 cm. In this case, the ovaries should contain at least 5 active follicles with the ratio parameter 1:1.
After the test, the doctor gives a conclusion on the ovulation reserve in points (from "+2" to "-2") by available data. When testing female fertility, it’s important to know the tissues ratio with stored and disturbed functions in the ovaries. The test results are studied by a specialist.
Besides ultrasound, a woman is also tested on the ability to conceive using a measurement procedure of hormonal levels in the blood. Hormonal concentration is also important for information about the ability of a woman to become pregnant and carry a baby.
An important parameter of fertility is the ratio of the two most important hormones for the reproductive function: follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH). Low fertility is indicated with the prevalence of follicle-stimulating hormone. However, the reduced reproductive capacity according to the test is not a verdict. It indicates only the need for additional therapeutic measures to increase conception’s possibility.
Female fertility home test
A modern woman can calmly determine the degree of her fertility right at home. To do this, you can buy a special kit in the pharmacy. The test allows you to know exactly the day of ovulation for determining the optimal "conception window." Female fertility tests have two types you can learn about below.
A follicle-stimulating hormone test
If the body has a sufficient number of mature eggs, the level of FSH remains low. It’s a signal about the ovaries’ exhaustion. If the number of growing eggs in the ovary decreases, the FSH concentration increases.
A luteinizing hormone level test
A high level of LH hormone is necessary for the safe exit of a mature egg from the ovary. With the normal woman’s ability to conceive, the level of LH is increased several days before and after ovulation within 1-2 days. Both home tests can determine the female fertility level and the possibility of conception.
Male infertility and fertility test
Male fertility is determined using a sperm test. The sperm research is carried out (spermogram) to obtain data on a man's ability to produce offspring. The level of male fertility is determined (reduced, normal or elevated) based on this test. You can make such tests at home now. Unlike female, men’s fertility is rarely the final verdict on male infertility. Even with a low result, a man can still become a father.
A doctor always decodes the test result. There are two types of "male indexes." The Farris fertility index and Kruger fertility index. What are they talking about?
Farris fertility index
According to the standard indicators developed by Farris, the normal index value is 200. It’s calculated from the total number of live spermatozoa in the ejaculate with varying degrees of mobility.
Important! In some laboratories obtained value of the Farris index is reduced by 10 times, that is, the normal index for this test is from 20 to 25. The low index is less than 20. The index above 25 is considered as high and means that it’s possible to become pregnant after single intercourse with such man. More often a morphological index is applied as a more accurate indicator.
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Kruger fertility index (morphological test)
It estimates the size of the various sperm’s parts (flagellum, cervix, and head) in percentages. At the same time, the index below 30% is low. The index more than 30% of the test response is normal. It has a favourable prognosis for conception possibility.
A percentage of ideal spermatozoa forms (percentage of ideal forms - PIF) is calculated to estimate the capacity for fertilisation. Its normal index is 4%. Accordingly, if PIF is less than 4%, then the man has low fertility if more than 4% then fertility is high.
It’s extremely rare for men to have increased fertility, and the result of sperm evaluation gives special properties to spermatozoa. These are such spermatozoa that "survive" in the women’s genitals up to 2 weeks. Normally, they are only 1-3%, but if the test shows more than 50% of the "unique" sperm, then a man will be able to impregnate any woman. Sperm with such high fertility is considered a unique natural phenomenon.
Low fertility is not a sentence. Often it can be increased by contacting gynaecologists - endocrinologists.
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Source: Naija.ng