Women with infertility have different experiences that determine the quality of their psychosocial health. Cultural constructions of infertility in Africa have made the experience of infertility among African women more burdensome. Yet, little is known about the psychosocial experiences of women with infertility in Zamfara State of Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to explore the psychosocial experiences of women with infertility in Zamfara. An exploratory qualitative design was used for this exploration. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Ethical approval was received from the Institutional Review Board of the Nogouchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in the University of Ghana. Women who were married and seeking treatment for infertility from a public hospital were recruited and interviewed. A total of 12 women were interviewed with each interview lasting 45 minutes. The interviews were audiotaped with permission from the participants, transcribed verbatim, and content analysed. The findings revealed that psychologically, majority of the women had experienced anxiety, stress and depression as a result of their inability to get pregnant. Socially, the women suffered self and social isolation, social stigma, social pressure and marital problems. These women have psychosocial health problems that need the attention of health professionals to enhance their wellbeing.

Background: Research has shown that infertility affects millions of couples worldwide. Infertility is considered one of the most difficult life experiences and can result in psychological consequences for couples, especially for women. The purpose of this study was to explore the psychological experiences of women with infertility. Methods: A qualitative exploratory descriptive approach was used to conduct in-depth interviews. The psychological component of the bio-psychosocial model was used as a guiding framework to understand the experiences of women with infertility. Fourteen women were selected based on the purpose of the study and provided their informed consent, and were interviewed between November 2015 and January 2016. All the women were recruited from the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Each interview lasted for 30 to 40 min. All interviews were audio taped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results: The findings from the study showed that women with fertility problems experienced many emotional difficulties such as loneliness, anxiety, depression, lack of concentration, worrying, and reduced sexual satisfaction. Conclusions: Women in this study encountered psychological challenges and experienced emotional distress. Such women would benefit from psychological support such as counseling to help alleviate their psychological problems. These findings have implications for the care of women with infertility in Ghana.

I don’t experience any insults but my wife does”: The blame game of male infertility in Ghana

This study tested the feasibility of a culturally adapted depression intervention among women with infertility. Women who were seeking medical treatment for infertility were randomized into treatment and control groups. Data were collected at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 3 months post intervention. General linear mixed model using empirical Bayesian estimates for repeated measures was used. The findings indicate an improvement in the women’s psychosocial health in the treatment group as compared with the controls. These findings strongly suggest that the management of these psychosocial problems should be an integral part of the management of infertility.

Background: Evidence globally indicates that female adolescents face numerous sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks. Utilization of sexual reproductive health services among adolescents is of global health importance and plays a crucial role in adolescent sexual reproductive health outcomes and their quality of life. Aim: The current study explored sexual reproductive health service utilization concerns among female adolescents in the Tema Metropolis in Southern Ghana using the Anderson and Newman Behavioural model of Health Service Utilization as a guiding framework. Methods: The study utilized a qualitative exploratory descriptive design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit female adolescents. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. In all, 12 interviews were conducted. Each interview lasted between 45 and 60 minutes. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Thematic analysis was guided by the constructs of the Anderson and Newman Behavioural model of health service utilization. Results: Utilization of sexual reproductive health services among female adolescents is low in the Tema metropolis. Factors such as unprotected non-consensual sexual activity or an unwanted pregnancy sometimes triggered the use of these services. Barriers to utilization identified include lack of awareness on sexual reproductive health services, unreliable sources of SRH information, underestimation of the severity of sexual reproductive health problems faced, unmet expectations and poor experiences with service providers. Conclusion: The current study identified poor utilization of sexual reproductive health services among female adolescents within the Tema metropolis of Ghana. There is the need to increase the number of adolescent health corners, increase awareness about SRH services among adolescents, improve parent-child SRH communication and provide adequate training for healthcare providers to improve provider attitude towards adolescent SRH service delivery in order to increase utilization of sexual reproductive health services among female adolescents in the Metropolis.