A fertility specialist and the Managing Director of Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, has said anxiety and depression contribute to the increasing infertility rate in the country, advising couples facing fertility issues to manage their stress and avoid actions that can lead to depression.

While noting that infertility is one of the toughest things couples can face, Ajayi said ensuring a healthy mental health is very crucial for conception and successful fertility treatment.

Speaking with journalists, yesterday, in Abuja, he observed that not much attention has been given to mental health in infertility treatment, adding arrangements have been concluded to integrate mental health care services in Nordica Fertility Centre services to help reduce the stress associated with infertility and treatment.

He said: “Your mood affects whether you get pregnant or don’t get pregnant. So, when you are depressed, the chances of getting pregnant are less, even when you do IVF because implantation is still an interplay of hormones.

“Studies have shown that mood affects the success rate of IVF. That is why we advise people against taking actions that can lead to depression, but practitioners and consumers are not paying attention to mental health and its effect on relationships.”

Ajayi, who observed that infertility tests the faith of couples in different ways, said: “No matter how strong you are, it tests your relationship, it tests who you are, and it tests your faith in God. And when you do the treatment and it fails, it tests everything in you. So, patients must also be prepared for this.”