LABUAN: Many tend to shy away when it comes to the topic of fertility and awareness of the subject itself among Malaysians is low, yet a study in recent years proved that one in six couples nationwide faces infertility.
Fertility specialist Dr Mohamed Hatta Tarmizi revealed the shocking statistics of knowledge gaps of Malaysians when it comes to the topic of fertility.
He disclosed that 71 per cent of Malaysians do not know that a woman in her forties has a lower chance of getting pregnant than in the thirties, while 68 per cent are unaware of the fact that obesity is a factor that reduces fertility.
“Another 49 per cent of Malaysians do not know that a man may be infertile even if he produces sperm, and 51 per cent too do no know that a man may be infertile even though he can achieve an erection.
“Also, 43 per cent of us are unaware that a woman who does not menstruate is no longer fertile. Meanwhile, another 69 per cent do not know that a couple would be classified as infertile if they fail to conceive after one year of trying,” he shared.
Dr Mohamed spoke during the infertility awareness forum ‘Making Pregnancy Possible’ organised by Sabah Care Fertility Centre for the first time in Labuan at Tiara Hotel here recently.
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Some 50 participants of couples and individuals who attended the forum were filled on infertility myths and facts as well as assisted reproductive therapies.
Dr Mohamed who is Sabah Care’s visiting consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, shared the various factors of infertility including age, smoking, poor diet, obesity, clothing, and radio-frequency electromagnetic waves (RFEMW) among others.
He shared that 33 per cent of infertility cases stem from women and 20 per cent are of men while 39 per cent of cases are due to issues from both men and women. The remaining eight per cent of cases are of unexplained causes.
He also stressed that age is one of the major factors that affect an individual’s fertility.
“Couples who try to conceive between the ages of 40-44 have a 64 per cent risk of failure compared to a couple between the ages of 20-24 who only have a 6 per cent chance of infertility,” he said.
The risk of infertility for couples aged between 25-29 is 9 per cent, aged 30-34 is 16 per cent, and those aged 35-39 have a 30 per cent chance of infertility.
Dr Mohamed urged couples who have been trying to conceive for over a year to not delay seeking for help and early treatment could increase the chance of conceiving through assisted reproductive therapies.
“The top advice people give in hindsight for when trying to conceive is to not wait until it is too late,” he said.
Speaking on assisted reproductive therapies at the forum was Sabah Care resident consultant and fertility specialist Dr Cheong Yee Tsing who detailed out the various treatment options available to couples wanting to have a child.
“Couples and individuals who are looking into assisted therapies can determine the suitable option for them after consulting a fertility expert as each type of therapy use unique approaches to tackle infertility issues,” she said.
She shared that among the options available are in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and embryo culture and transfer, among others.
In IVF, the ovaries are stimulated with hormone injections to produce eggs.
After stimulation, eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and fertilised by sperms in a laboratory setting and after the embryo is developed, it is then replaced into the uterus in a procedure called the embryo transfer.
Meanwhile, in IUI, sperm is introduced into the uterus during ovulation via a catheter, which is closer to natural fertilisation.
Dr Cheong said IUI would be the initial option for most couples before turning to IVF.
Meanwhile, Sabah Care medical scientist Michelle Jane Chin who spoke to Daily Express after the forum shared that the Sabah Care fertility specialist clinic has received cases nationwide and the number of cases have been on a steady rise every year.
“The number of cases we receive fluctuates but on average we may see 10 to 15 cases per month and it seems to be on an upward trend as public awareness increases over the year.
“Usually, success rates vary with age but generally it is about 40 per cent.
“However, our (Sabah Care’s) recorded success rate for IVF treatments thus far have been impressive with 50 per cent success for patients under 40,” she shared.
Michelle added that public awareness of subfertility problems are still low especially the fact that those experiencing fertility problems need to seek treatment early.
She urged couples to go for a consultation even before marriage to detect potential problems so they could anticipate or seek help as soon as possible when they want to have a child.
“More has to be done to increase awareness of infertility in Malaysia generally and Sabah and Labuan specifically.
“Our initiative to achieve this includes organising educational programmes and public forums such as this all over Sabah and Labuan.
“We are also collaborating with rural clinics across the state and reach out to the public to our social media platforms,” she added.
Pregnancy can be made possible, even for those who are struggling, with the proper consultation and suitable treatments for each couple or individual.
