BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — Infertility is a medical condition, not a personal failure, and misconceptions about it can delay treatment, create shame and strain relationships. Getting accurate information is the first step towards hope.
Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center Medical Officer IV Dr. Aileen Marie Caluza-Buliyat emphasized this in the Kapihan media forum led by the Department of Health-CAR here on April 15.
Buliyat, in promoting National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) 2026, shared the global data that approximately one in six people of reproductive age experience infertility at some stage in their lives.
Locally, one in every 10 Filipino couples experiences difficulty conceiving and many are suffering in silence due to shame or lack of awareness, she added.
Infertility means not being able to get pregnant after a regular unprotected sexual intercourse among couples. It is not just a woman’s issue, causes may be distributed across both partners.
For females, common causes are ovulation problems, blocked Fallopian tubes, Endometriosis (tissue growing outside the uterus), and age-related decline on egg quantity and quality.
For males, it includes low sperm count, poor sperm movement and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol, heat exposure and stress, Buliyat explained.
Fertility declines gradually then steeply after 35 especially in women as egg quantity and quality decrease over time. Male fertility is often overlooked but semen analysis can reveal a lot, she added.
According to the doctor, infertility is not just a medical challenge, it also affects the heart and mind, causes stress, anxiety and fear, and relationship strain.
Millions of couples face this, and it affects both male and female, so this is a shared journey for couples, she said.
Help is available and within reach—from OB-Gyn to fertility clinics. Early action matters, the sooner you seek help, the more options you will have, Buliyat said.
The BGHMC has a Fertility Clinic at the Outpatient Department which is open every Thursday. Clients range from 10 to 20 couples every week.
Buliyat also shared that they aim to establish a Fertility and IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) Center at BGHMC by the end of the year or early next year. At present, the nearest center of its kind is in Pampanga.
NIAW 2026, observed from April 19 to 25, adopts the theme, #MoreThan to highlight that the fertility journey is about more than just a medical diagnosis or treatment; it also involves the emotional and personal sides of family building. **JDP/CCD-PIA CAR
