Christy Anyanwu

The first ever national dysmenorrhea survey for secondary school girls in Nigeria has been announced by the Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria (ESGN).

According to the spokesperson and Trustee for the ESGN, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, the dysmenorrhea (painful periods) survey was important to help diagnose and treat endometriosis, a very painful condition that affects a woman’s reproductive system.

Ajayi, who is the Medical Director, Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos, Abuja and Asaba, noted that preliminary results of the survey were useful.

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According to him, “it is meant to be nationwide, but we are starting in Lagos and there are about 30, 000 secondary school students targeted. We have adopted a quantitative approach and developed a plan for carrying out the survey on a quarterly basis (very three months).”

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On the relevance of the survey, Ajayi said scientific evidence showed that many young women and girls that often develop endometriosis by first experiencing painful periods.

He said: “The fastest way to check if a woman or young girl has endometriosis is from when her period starts and all the drama around the period; so if we know the prevalence and we are able to measure and check across the country and to have better data and statistics to work with, then we will be in position to diagnose and manage it better.”

“Endometriosis is a medical condition where the kind of tissue that usually lines the womb also grows in other parts of the body. These ‘growths’ are called endometrial implants, and may be small or larger in size. Like the lining of the womb, they build up and are shed every month.

“In a related event, the first live birth from the Fertility Treatment Support Foundation (FTSF) initiative has been announced. The FTSF is a free fertility treatment programme for Nigerian couples challenged by infertility but unable to pay for the treatment. The initiative has potential of allowing more couples enjoy the joy of parenthood.”

On his part, Communication Director, FTSF, Mr. Onuora Molokwu, said a baby girl was born to one of the couples that benefited from the 2017 edition of the initiative tagged AliBaba January 1st Concert and Fertility Treatment Support Foundation 2017.

He said five couples were selected by the foundation to receive free treatment out of which two successfully conceived.