Dyer S J, Abrahams N, Hoffman M, van der Spuy Z M
Reproductive Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Groote Schuur Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, 7925, South Africa.
Hum Reprod. 2002 Jun;17(6):1663-8. doi: 10.1093/humrep/17.6.1663.
This study explores the concerns and experiences related to involuntary childlessness of infertile women living in a diverse cultural urban community in South Africa.
In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 women seeking treatment for involuntary childlessness. Women were interviewed at the time of their first visit to an infertility clinic in a tertiary referral centre.
All women verbalized intense emotions about their involuntary childlessness. In addition, a large number of women experienced negative social consequences including marital instability, stigmatization and abuse.
These findings demonstrate that infertility can have a serious effect on both the psychological well-being and the social status of women in the developing world. Furthermore, the study provides insight into the cultural context of involuntary infertility in South Africa. The delivery of good infertility care in a community requires awareness of the implications of infertility and insight into the context in which these occur. Since many of the negative social implications of infertility are probably rooted in low status women in the developing world, effective intervention will ultimately require social, economical and political changes.
本研究探讨了居住在南非多元文化城市社区的不孕女性与非自愿无子女相关的担忧和经历。
对30名因非自愿无子女而寻求治疗的女性进行了深入访谈。这些女性在首次前往三级转诊中心的不孕诊所就诊时接受了访谈。
所有女性都表达了对非自愿无子女的强烈情绪。此外，大量女性经历了负面的社会后果，包括婚姻不稳定、污名化和虐待。
这些发现表明，不孕对发展中世界女性的心理健康和社会地位都会产生严重影响。此外，该研究深入了解了南非非自愿不孕的文化背景。在社区提供良好的不孕治疗需要认识到不孕的影响，并深入了解其发生的背景。由于不孕的许多负面社会影响可能根源在于发展中世界地位低下的女性，有效的干预最终将需要社会、经济和政治变革。
