TY - JOUR
T1 - “Community members question me and flaunt their children before me”
T2 - A call for psychosocial support for women with infertility in Northern Ghana
AU - Anabila Adda, Ignatius
AU - Naab, Florence
AU - Armah, Deborah
AU - Kyei, Josephine
AU - Yahaya, Abdulai
AU - Wuni Bobtoyah, Theodore
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors
PY - 2025/3
Y1 - 2025/3
N2 - Infertility is a major health issue that poses threats to women's lives, marriages, and health. Yet little is known about psychosocial support for women with infertility in Northern Ghana. This study aims to understand the psychosocial challenges faced by women with infertility and evaluate the availability and effectiveness of social support systems in East Mamprusi Municipality, Northern Ghana using a qualitative interpretive descriptive design. In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Ethical approval was received from the Institutional Review Board of Ghana Health Service, Accra. Women who visited the health facility desiring to conceive were recruited and interviewed. Thirteen (13) women were interviewed, with each interview lasting 45 min to an hour. The interviews were audiotaped after obtaining permission from the participants, which were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that women faced numerous mental and social problems. Some of these problems include emotional, behavioural, marital instability, the high cost of infertility treatment, and a strong desire to have children. Although the women reported some social support from the community, they lacked strategies to sustain this support. Women with infertility face numerous mental and social challenges. They lack support systems to improve their mental and social health. Health professionals are required to constitute peer support groups for these women and advocate for external assistance to sustain these support groups.
AB - Infertility is a major health issue that poses threats to women's lives, marriages, and health. Yet little is known about psychosocial support for women with infertility in Northern Ghana. This study aims to understand the psychosocial challenges faced by women with infertility and evaluate the availability and effectiveness of social support systems in East Mamprusi Municipality, Northern Ghana using a qualitative interpretive descriptive design. In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Ethical approval was received from the Institutional Review Board of Ghana Health Service, Accra. Women who visited the health facility desiring to conceive were recruited and interviewed. Thirteen (13) women were interviewed, with each interview lasting 45 min to an hour. The interviews were audiotaped after obtaining permission from the participants, which were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that women faced numerous mental and social problems. Some of these problems include emotional, behavioural, marital instability, the high cost of infertility treatment, and a strong desire to have children. Although the women reported some social support from the community, they lacked strategies to sustain this support. Women with infertility face numerous mental and social challenges. They lack support systems to improve their mental and social health. Health professionals are required to constitute peer support groups for these women and advocate for external assistance to sustain these support groups.
KW - Infertility
KW - Social support
KW - Women's psychosocial experiences
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85214929030&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.srhc.2025.101065
DO - 10.1016/j.srhc.2025.101065
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85214929030
SN - 1877-5756
VL - 43
JO - Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare
JF - Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare
M1 - 101065
ER -