Gynaecologist talks

as a platform in order to improve awareness towards reproductive health. Technologies will also have great impact on health in general. That includes understanding the specific disease condition of any patient, improved treatment modalities and prevention strategies. For example use of applications (smart mobile cell phone applications like my calendar) to monitor the menstrual cycle of a woman and plan to conceive or prevent unintended pregnancy is the simplest impact of technology. One of the greatest impacts of technology in sexual and reproductive health is IVF.

What are the most pressing sexual health issues that women tend to deal with?

One of the most pressing issues could be a woman`s sexual function and the other could be reproductive capability. These are really hindrances and they will affect the woman`s life at most. Menstrual disorders are also a serious concern for women. The other could be chronic pelvic pain, which is one of the most common health problems of women and it could have a great impact in their lifestyles.

Which contraceptives are most effective for teens and why?

Any of modern contraceptive methods can be used with the exception of tubal ligation. Probably long acting contraceptives could be most effective like Inplants. This is because the method does not need to be taken on daily basis and there is less chance of missing them. At times teenage girls could have a difficulty of taking contraceptive pills because of confidentiality concerns.

What services can doctors provide to minors confidentially?

Treating sexually transmissible diseases without necessarily engaging parentsProvision of long acting contraceptionTeaching them how to prevent unplanned pregnancies and infections that could compromise their future fertility potential.

Have you worked with transgender women here? What services do they normally require?

I have never worked with transgender patient so far. I don’t have any experience with that.

Is the problem of infertility prevalent in Botswana? Discuss your experience please

Yes it is a common problem in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa as a whole not only in Botswana. Generally it affects 15% of couples globally and up to 30% of couples in Sub-Saharan Africa are affected by secondary infertility.

Discuss some of different factors responsible for infertility among Batswana females?

One of the most common factors is blocked fallopian tubes as a result of sexually transmissible disease (STDs).

Endocrine factors (hormonal disorders)

Other factors could be male factors At times it could be unexplained What first steps should one take if one is unable to conceive and do those steps differ based on a woman’s age?

The first step is to consult a gynaecologist in order to understand the causeThe initial investigation is almost similar for every coupleThere will be different testes to be doneThe treatment approach will be guided based on underlying problems

In our society, infertility is generally attributed to women only. How far are men responsible?

Infertility generally should be addressed as a problem of the couples. The problem may be from one or both of the couples. Psychological factors may not cause infertility but infertility will have a significant social and psychological impact on the couples.

Can infertility be cured completely?

Yes depending on the underlying cause, for example if it is due to hormonal abnormality affecting the capacity of ovulation, just correcting the hormone will reverse the problem.

If the problem is tubal factor either minimal surgical correction or assisted reproductive technology will help. If it is male factor addressing the health problem of the male partner can correct the situation

What precautions can a young female take to prevent infertility?

The first and most important thing is to prevent STDs that will prevent tubal obstruction. If there is any symptoms of genital infection they must be treated immediately.The second thing is preventing unintended pregnancy and its complications.

Does every woman who faces problems in conceiving need treatment?

Yes especially if the woman is still young that means at the age of her reproduction. If it is too late the outcome may not be that much promising.

What is the best treatment available in Botswana for infertility? And how successful is the treatment?

Treating underlying factors that hinder fertility for example, endocrine abnormalities can be corrected and fertility will be achieved.

The patient can be given some fertility medications

For someone to get advanced IVF there might be a need to go to fertility centres.

What do you hope the future of healthcare access and reproductive healthcare access, in particular looks like?

With current technology healthcare has been changed a lot especially in terms of diagnosis, prevention and patient care. In the future a lot more will be done probably HIV-free generation will be less affected by infertility and other STDs