A Consultant Gynaecologist, Dr Ayodele Ademola, on Wednesday decried the belief by some women and teenagers that keeping virginity or not having sex before the age of 25 years could lead to infertility.
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Ademola, also the Medical Director, Strong Tower Hospital and Advanced Fertility Centre, a Lagos-based private medical facility, made the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
The expert said such belief or imagination was wrong and a superstitious that has no scientific base or proof.
He said the belief had made many young girls (teenagers) to indulge in sexual acts and activities that could negatively impact their lives in future when they eventually get married.
According to him, in a bid to have sex before the age of 25 years, many young women got involved in fornication, have series of pregnancies and aborting them.
”Some abortions, if not professionally handled, are the acts that can result to infertility,” Ademola explained.
The gynaecologist said the issue of fertility was connected with age, noting that the earlier a woman got pregnant and start a family, the better.
He further said that the best age bracket for a woman to have babies was between 20 and 30 years of age.
The expert added that some women, even at the age of 40 years, could still conceive if the person was having regular menstrual flow.
“No doubt, fertility drops with the age, but there is no scientific proof that infertility will set in if a woman is not disvirgined before the age of 25 years.
“Even, from the age of 40 to 45 years, a woman can still conceive provided she is having regular menstrual flow.
“From the age of 40 years, about 10 per cent of women can conceive, while from 45 years of age, only about four per cent of women can conceive.
“Scientifically, between the ages of 20 and 30 years remains the best age bracket for women to have babies.
“Unfortunately, most girls of these days think of settling down to start a family from 35 years and above,” he noted.
The consultant said that the more a woman got older, the greater her chances of having miscarriage.
He added that the chances of a woman having multiple-pregnancies (twins) were very common around the age of 35 years.