Welcome all to our second edition of HF-Live! Joining us today will be Dr Temitope Akinola, a leading Consultant Gynaecologist at Evercare Hospital, Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. Kindly type in your questions respectfully and answers will be provided shortly.
Home Let’s talk about Assisted Reproduction!
Hello!
How affordable are the available methods of assisted reproduction?
The prices vary from place to place. But currently, the average range is somewhere between 2.5- 5 million Naira.
Is there an age range, for both men and women, when assisted reproduction is no longer an option for reproduction?
The rate of success generally reduces with age in both men and women, especially from 35 years onwards. But from early to mid 50s and above, many specialists would be hesitant to carry out assisted reproductive procedures because of the extremely high failure rate. It would no longer be considered cost effective at this point.
Can assisted reproduction help one choose certain traits one desires in their offspring?
Assisted reproduction is largely associated with infertility. Are there methods that can help preserve a woman’s fertility?
It is possible to choose traits like gender. But other physical traits like hair colour, height, etc are not done. There are ethical issues surrounding genetic modification.
Some ways to preserve fertility include adopting a healthy lifestyle (balanced diet and exercise). Stop smoking and consuming alcohol. Maintain safe sexual practices and treat sexually transmitted infections immediately.
How do I know the best place to go for assisted reproduction?
There are specialist centers all over the country. A good place to start would be to visit a tertiary center in your state, e.g a University Teaching Hospital. Many of them would have facilities for assisted reproduction. If not, the specialists there would be in a good position to refer you appropriately.
What are the potential risks associated with IVF. How severe can it get. Can it lead to death. If not, what risks should couples be aware of?
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is one of the biggest risks to be aware of. It can be severe enough to require admission in the intensive care unit.
Is there any assisted reproduction method that can be done in men?
Are these procedures a guarantee for twins?
Yes please. There are procedures are male infertility. For example, Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) can be done for men with very low sperm count, or those with insufficient healthy spermatozoa.
Although the procedures increase the chance of twinning, it is not a guarantee. Assisted reproduction may result in a single birth, triplets or more. Getting twins is not a fixed outcome.
Is IVF the same thing as assisted reproduction?
No. IVF is ‘in vitro fertilization’, and it is a type of assisted reproduction technology. There are others such as gamete or zygote intrafallopian transfer
How easy is it to find hospitals that will offer these services outside Lagos?
There are approved assisted reproduction centers all over the country. A good place to start would be to visit a tertiary center in your state, e.g a University Teaching Hospital. Many of them would have facilities for assisted reproduction. If not, the specialists there would be in a good position to refer you appropriately.
YOU CAN CONTACT DR TEMITOPE AKINOLA via (+234) 08034098414 for further enquiries and assistance.