Department of Sociology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Hum Reprod. 2012 May;27(5):1383-90. doi: 10.1093/humrep/des035. Epub 2012 Feb 21.
Given the high value placed on children in sub-Saharan Africa, previous research suggests that infertility increases the risk of psychological distress and marital conflict, encourages risky sexual behavior and deprives infertile individuals and couples of an important source of economic and social capital. This paper explores the implications of infertility for women in Ghana, West Africa.
Semi-structured interview data collected from 107 women (aged 21-48 years, mean 33 years) seeking treatment in gynecological and obstetric clinics in Accra, Ghana, are analyzed. Based on iterative open coding of the interviews, the focus of the analysis is on mental health, marital instability, social interaction and gendered experiences.
Infertile women report facing severe social stigma, marital strain and a range of mental health difficulties. Many women feel that they shoulder a disproportionate share of the blame for infertility and, by extension, face greater social consequences than male partners for difficulties conceiving. Women who do not self-identify as infertile corroborate these findings, asserting that the social consequences of infertility are severe, particularly for women.
Infertility in Ghana has important consequences for social interactions, marital stability and mental health. These consequences are not perceived to be shared equally by Ghanaian men.
鉴于撒哈拉以南非洲地区对儿童的高度重视，先前的研究表明，不孕会增加心理困扰和婚姻冲突的风险，鼓励冒险性行为，并使不孕个体和夫妇丧失重要的经济和社会资本来源。本文探讨了不孕对西非加纳妇女的影响。
对加纳阿克拉妇科和产科诊所寻求治疗的 107 名年龄在 21-48 岁（平均 33 岁）的妇女进行了半结构化访谈，收集了访谈数据。基于对访谈的迭代式开放式编码，分析的重点是心理健康、婚姻不稳定、社会互动和性别体验。
不孕妇女报告面临严重的社会耻辱、婚姻紧张和一系列心理健康问题。许多妇女感到自己对不孕承担了不成比例的责任，因此，与男性伴侣相比，在怀孕困难方面面临更大的社会后果。那些不自我认同为不孕的女性也证实了这些发现，她们断言，不孕的社会后果是严重的，尤其是对女性而言。
加纳的不孕对社会互动、婚姻稳定和心理健康有重要影响。加纳男性并不认为这些后果是平等分担的。
