Dr Gaontebale Onthatile Matlhaga is a gynaecology fellow of the Colleges of Medicine SA, with a certificate in human reproduction and endocrine.
He obtained his MBChB degree at UKZN in 2002.
Matlhaga has also been a council member of the South African Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists since 2016.
His interests and competencies are fertility medicine, which includes assisted reproductive techniques, egg and sperm freezing, endometriosis and general gynaecology.
Matlhaga will now be practising at the Life Parkland Hospital in Springs.
Also read: Getting to know Dr Rui Graça
How did you decide which field to specialise in?
My mother had a terrible obstetric life.
She has had many miscarriages and two neonatal deaths, and I am her first child.
I think that made me interested in maternity and how it works.
When I went to medical school, I did not know I would do obstetrics.
While I was doing my internship and community service, in rotations, I felt more intrigued by gynaecology more than the other specialities.
In a way your speciality chooses you.
When you specialise, you need to pick something you enjoy. Something you will wake up motivated to do every day.
Is fertility a ‘female’ problem?
No. Not at all.
Fertility is so much broader than most people think it is.
This is why I prefer it when couples visit me together.
There are basic tests for both males and females because scientifically, the contribution of both gender to whatever the problem is in conception is equal.
Many times men also need treatment.
The sad part is that I have encountered many women who struggle to bear children.
Especially in African cultures, there is a great stigma attached when a woman cannot have children.
Also read: Getting to know Prof Sebastian Magobotha
What is a normal period?
Every female has her own normal because bodies are unique and programmed genetically.
If it changes from what you are used to, then that is abnormal.
But then we have an average.
The average menstrual cycle takes 28 days and an average period lasts between five and seven days.
If there are changes, you want to pay special attention to the number of days, the number of periods in a cycle, the flow and the pain or discomfort felt during the period.
At what age should a healthy female start to see a gynecologist?
As soon as she starts engaging in sexual intercourse.
