Lack of awareness on infertility treatment, shame and ignorance amongst the male gender specifically has contributed highly to the low turnout of treatment.
BY WINNIE OSIKA
A
study from the ministry (MOH) of health titled Magnitude of Infertility in Kenya 2007 (Social Cultural Aspect) stated that a woman’s social status, direction of life, economic achievement, well-being and the very meaning of marital life hinges around her ability to bear children.
According to this report, the ability to bear children is seen by the society as a true mark of womanhood and pride for a man. It further indicates that a childless marital union is plagued by tension which results from numerous man-made problems, social stigma, economic exploitation and psychological pressure from the husband’s relatives.
Childlessness or inability to bear children has increasingly been blamed on the woman for decades especially in developing countries.
Women have been forced to bear the burden of infertility, and while at it, they have continuously suffered discrimination, stigma and ostracism. As a result, they have been isolated, some divorced while others physically and psychologically abused while still in their marriages. This is despite the fact that men equally are part of this problem. Statistics show that men contribute 40 per cent to all cases of infertility, same percentage as the women. Ten per cent has been attributed to combined factors while the remaining ten per cent is unexplained.
Feminised infertility
Even with men sometimes knowing too well that they could be the problem, ignorance, pride and ego has made it difficult for them to seek treatment. This is due to the fact that infertility has traditionally been viewed as a woman’s problem.
The MOH report observes that scientific and clinical research have by and large inadvertently feminised infertility, hence in a sense legitimising the traditional belief that infertility is essentially a woman’s problem. In a bid to change this narrative, a German based non- profit philanthropic organisation, Merck, through the Merck Foundation is creating awareness on the subject of infertility through a campaign dubbed Merck More Than a Mother.
Through this campaign, the organisation seeks to challenge the perception of infertile women, their roles and worth in the society both within and beyond the medical profession. “This is in order to achieve a systematic shift in the current culture of gender discrimination in the context of fertility care in African societies. Additionally, it is meant to address solutions for change of mindset and upgrading the health care service,” says Rasha Kelej, CEO Merck Foundation.
The campaign has included different stakeholders including women leaders, policy makers, parliamentarians, academia, fertility experts, communities and the media. Kelej says that the initiative aims to empower infertile women through access to information, education, health and change of mindset.
Infertility and stigma
The bigger message in this campaign is that infertility affects both men and women equally and that it is a shared responsibility for both genders.
Part of the campaign has involved the launch of two hash tags, #MenToo and #NoForInfertilityStigma where emphasis is being put on men to take up responsibility and support their wives, sisters, mothers on this journey of infertility as they too are part of it. The two hash tags are aimed at building awareness that men too can be infertile, can suffer social pressure due to infertility and also experience stigma.
“There is an accepted fact that men are the core to reproduction, but they can be infertile too,” says Prof Koigi Kamau, Chairman of Kenya Fertility Society.
Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, President of African Fertility Society notes that infertility should not be viewed as some sort of witchcraft and that it is a medical condition which can be reversed. He adds that lack of awareness on its treatment, shame and ignorance amongst the male gender specifically has contributed highly to the low turnout of treatment. Prof. Ashiru says although most causes of infertility are not preventable, the combination of keeping healthy and avoiding environmental toxins may help. These include excessive use of alcohol and smoking, exposing the male private parts to high temperatures such as riding motorbikes, hot tubs and steam baths which he says affects sperm production and motility. Exposure to environmental and industrial toxins such as paints and petrochemicals may damage and have an impact on sperm production consequently contributing to male infertility.
Prof. Ashiru adds that eating a balanced diet provides the necessary nutrients to optimise sperm function and minimise the effects of factors which may otherwise damage the sperm.
According to data by the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 180 million couples in developing countries suffer from primary or secondary infertility. Medically, studies have proved that the leading cause of infertility in both sexes in Africa\ is the tubal factor due to infections, sexually transmitted infections and post abortal sepsis.
Providing access to infertility care is important but it is even more important to intervene to decrease stigmatisation and social suffering arising from this condition.
Winnie Osika is a freelance writer based in Nairobi.
Email: oskawinny@gmail.com
