Reversing Infertility In Men & Women by Apostle Femi Lazarus: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Weight of the Problem Is Shared

The most common assumption about infertility is that it belongs to the woman. That assumption is wrong. Both men and women share equal weight of the problem — yet in many environments, men will not come for testing. If a couple is not conceiving, both partners should check simultaneously. Finding the problem early means it can be addressed early.

It takes two to tango. Without sperm, an egg cannot form a baby — and without an egg, sperm has nowhere to go. Both sides of the equation matter.

Common Causes of Infertility in Women

Tubal Blockage

In the Nigerian environment specifically, the leading cause of female infertility is tubal blockage. The tube is very narrow — any small disruption can close it. The leading causes of tubal disease are infection (sexually transmitted infections and other pelvic infections) and surgical scarring. Fibroid surgeries, for instance, always carry a risk of scar formation. If fibroid surgery must be done, it should be done by a specialist who understands that the goal is not just to remove the fibroid but to leave the woman fertile. Appendix ruptures can also cause tubal blockage because of the infection and tissue reaction involved.

Ovulation Problems

Without ovulation, no egg is released — and even if sperm is present in millions, there is nothing to fertilize. Women may fail to ovulate at all, or may not ovulate effectively. This is a significant cause of fertility challenges worldwide, particularly in developed countries where it is the leading cause of infertility.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a condition people are born with — it is not acquired. Approximately one in three women of reproductive age has polycystic ovaries, though not all develop the syndrome. The syndrome involves hormonal imbalance, which affects ovulation and carries longer-term health risks including diabetes and endometrial cancer.

Lifestyle changes that help manage PCOS include reducing carbohydrate and sugar intake, increasing vegetables and protein, regular exercise, and weight management. Studies have shown that weight loss in obese women with PCOS reverses many of the hormonal imbalances and allows many to conceive without medical intervention.

Fibroids

Fibroids are extremely common, particularly in Black women — the predisposition is genetic. The key factors are location and size. A large fibroid on the outer wall of the womb may cause no fertility problems, while a small fibroid sitting inside the uterine cavity can prevent conception entirely. Fibroids inside the cavity or near the tubes can block pathways or increase bleeding so heavily that anemia develops before recovery can occur between cycles. Vitamin D deficiency has been theorized as a contributor to fibroid development; modern indoor lifestyles reduce sun exposure significantly.

Endometriosis and Adenomyosis

Endometriosis affects the ovary and the environment needed for implantation. Adenomyosis involves the lining cells of the uterus growing into the muscular wall — causing monthly bleeding within the wall, inflammation, enlargement, and eventually a distorted uterine architecture that reduces implantation success.

Autoimmune Disorders

In some women, the body's own defense system identifies an incoming embryo as a foreign body and attacks it, causing recurrent miscarriage. Testing for autoimmune factors is part of a complete fertility workup, and medication can suppress this response.

Common Causes of Infertility in Men

Low Sperm Count

The main fertility factor for men is low sperm count or no sperm. It is easy to diagnose — a semen analysis gives the result. Finding the cause is harder. In many cases, there is no identifiable cause; it is simply a genetic predisposition that begins at some point and progresses. Sperm production is a daily, continuous process — not a cycle like egg production. The testes begin maturing sperm cells daily, with maturation taking approximately 74 days.

Contrary to common myths: masturbation does not cause low sperm count. Sperm that is not ejaculated is reabsorbed by the body — it does not accumulate and cause pain or pressure.

Blockage

A man may produce sperm normally but have a blockage in the ducts that prevents sperm from coming out. Surgical sperm retrieval can go directly to the testes to extract sperm for IVF.

Retrograde Ejaculation

In some men, particularly those who have had prostate surgery, sperm travels backward into the bladder during ejaculation rather than forward. Medication can alkalinize the urine, protecting sperm that then enters the bladder; the sperm can be retrieved from the urine and used in IVF.

Lifestyle Factors

Sperm count globally has been declining over the past century, attributed to environmental toxins, preservatives in food, poor diet, and related factors. The WHO has lowered its standard for normal sperm count from 20 million per milliliter to 15 million, because research showed fertility outcomes at those levels were equivalent.

Key lifestyle factors that affect male fertility include diabetes, hypertension, smoking, excessive alcohol, and mental stress. Sperm function (motility and viability) can be affected even when count is normal. A man experiencing extreme fatigue after intimacy — to the point of being unable to function the following day — should be evaluated, as this is not a normal response and may indicate underlying issues.

Miscarriage

The most common known cause of first-trimester miscarriage is chromosomal abnormality in the developing fetus — not a problem with the parents, but an error in the formation process that nature eliminates. Other contributing factors include infection (including symptom-free malaria parasitemia), hormonal deficiency, alcohol, cigarette smoking, excessive caffeine, and certain medications that should not be taken during early pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes carries serious risks for the baby: excessive growth, lung immaturity, and hypoglycemia after birth when the free flow of sugar from the mother is cut off. Controlling blood sugar during pregnancy through dietary adjustments significantly reduces these risks.

Fertility Treatment Options

Simple Interventions

Not every fertility challenge requires IVF. Some cases resolve with simple advice, cycle monitoring, ovulation induction medication, or properly timed intercourse. A case was described of a woman who came in expecting IVF and left with medication — and later delivered.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

Sperm is prepared — the raw seminal fluid is processed to concentrate active sperm cells — and injected directly into the uterus, bypassing the cervix. The sperm cell inside ejaculate is invisible to the naked eye and represents a small fraction of the fluid volume; it is the active ingredient extracted and concentrated.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

IVF involves stimulating the ovaries to produce multiple eggs (not just the one that would naturally be dominant), extracting them via ultrasound-guided needle under sedation, fertilizing with sperm in a laboratory, and transferring the resulting embryo into the uterus.

A key misconception: IVF does not exhaust a woman's egg supply. Each month, about 15 follicles are recruited naturally but only one becomes dominant and ovulates; the others are suppressed. IVF medication simply prevents suppression and allows multiple eggs to mature simultaneously. A woman is born with approximately 2 million potential eggs; by puberty this reduces to around 500,000 — more than enough to last until menopause regardless of IVF cycles.

IVF success depends on several factors: age (prime fertility is under 35, with natural decline after 35 and steep decline after 40), ovarian reserve, absence of conditions like endometriosis or adenomyosis, and lifestyle factors. Age at 25 can sometimes show premature ovarian failure, while a woman at 40 may still have good reserve — assessment is individual.

Surrogacy

Surrogacy in Nigeria currently has no legal framework but is not illegal. Practitioners reference British and American legal frameworks while awaiting legislation. Acceptability has increased significantly. The process involves using the genetic material of the intending parents — egg from the woman, sperm from the man — and transferring the resulting embryo to a gestational carrier who carries the pregnancy. The carrier has no genetic relationship to the child.

Candidates for surrogacy include women whose wombs have been removed (while the ovaries remain intact and she remains fertile) and those with conditions preventing safe pregnancy. Proper screening of the gestational carrier for disease and pregnancy suitability is required.

Fertility Preservation

Women approaching 40 who are not yet married or ready to conceive can have eggs preserved (cryopreserved) at their current quality. Stored for up to 10 years, the eggs retain the characteristics of the age at which they were frozen. When ready, eggs can be fertilized and transferred — or, if the woman has passed menopause, a surrogate can be used. This technology has given parenthood to people who previously had no options.

A Final Observation

Many who would previously have died believing God did not want them to have a child now have access to options that make parenthood possible. The wisdom for these medical advances comes from the same God who designed the human body. These are not substitutes for faith — they are the tools of a generation equipped with more understanding than any before it.