Ofosu-Budu Dorcas, Hanninen Vilma
Department of Social Science, University of Eastern Finland.
Afr J Reprod Health. 2021 Apr;25(2):110-119. doi: 10.29063/ajrh2021/v25i2.11.
Infertility has debilitating effects on couples, especially for women and in pronatalist cultures. This study explored ways of reducing stigma from infertility in Ghana. Thirty infertile married women were interviewed: 15 each from the North-East and Ashanti regions. Ten herbalists were interviewed: five from the North-East, two from the Ashanti, and three from the Greater Accra, regions. A semi-structured protocol was used. A phenomenological study design was employed to explore experiences and views and thematic analysis was used: coding and analysing all this data, to identify themes. Ways of reducing stigma were suggested at different levels: society, community members, herbalists, and infertile women. The women and herbalists suggested that public education was necessary to avoid certain misconceptions about childlessness such as wombs being removed spiritually by others due to jealousy or envy. They stated that the community can be sensitized to the effects of stigma such as perceiving victims as cursed and useless. Women in the North-East region suggested they should be empowered and assisted financially to establish their own businesses. All the herbalists pledged their unflinching support for comprehensive public education and expressed their readiness to partake in the campaign to curb the stigma. Most Ghanaians have limited knowledge of the causes of infertility, resulting in stigmatization. Most people do not know that infertility has some unexplained or natural causes and, therefore, attribute all causes to spirits, abortions, or both. It is essential that communities are educated on the causes and treatment of infertility as well as on how they can support such women and help improve their well-being.
不孕症会对夫妻，尤其是对女性以及在推崇生育主义的文化中造成极大影响。本研究探索了在加纳减少不孕症污名化的方法。对30名不孕的已婚女性进行了访谈：东北和阿散蒂地区各15名。还访谈了10名草药医生：东北地区5名、阿散蒂地区2名、大阿克拉地区3名。采用了半结构化方案。运用现象学研究设计来探索经历和观点，并使用了主题分析：对所有这些数据进行编码和分析，以确定主题。在社会、社区成员、草药医生和不孕女性等不同层面提出了减少污名化的方法。女性和草药医生表示，开展公众教育很有必要，以避免对无子女存在某些误解，比如认为子宫因他人嫉妒而被神灵摘除。他们指出，可以提高社区对污名化影响的认识，比如将受害者视为被诅咒和无用之人。东北地区的女性建议，应该赋予她们权力并在经济上给予帮助，以便她们能够创业。所有草药医生承诺坚定支持全面的公众教育，并表示愿意参与遏制污名化的运动。大多数加纳人对不孕症的成因了解有限，从而导致了污名化现象。大多数人不知道不孕症有一些无法解释的或自然的原因，因此将所有原因都归咎于神灵、堕胎或两者皆有。对社区进行关于不孕症的成因、治疗以及如何支持这些女性并帮助改善她们福祉的教育至关重要。
