Social Consequences of Infertility upon Women in Mosul City

A. Al-Neami, Maha

	Social Consequences of Infertility upon Women in Mosul City
IRAQI JOURNALOF COMMUNITY MEDICINE
Article 1, Volume 21, Issue 4, 2008, Pages 291-298
Author
Maha A. Al-Neami
Abstract
Background: infertility is a dilemma of global properties. It's a devastating experience. Especially in oriental societies, where the infertility is seen as the problem of woman not for man, thus the childbearing and the male offspring are of the highest valued factors in stabilizing marriage and expected to bring happiness and family harmony. Otherwise these women will subjected to a tremendous social sequels and emotional sufferings. Objective: to explore the wide array of conditions women may endure and the sociological context of infertility consequences experienced by women suffering from primary, secondary, and those have daughters only within their marital home in Mosul. Methods: a retrospective cohort study conducted in Al-Batool Teaching Maternity Hospital in Mosul City. A sample of 200 infertile women has been sociologically compared with other 200 fertile women according to questionnaire form filled through direct interviews with each woman. Results: 7.5% of infertile women threatened for divorce, 40% were threatened for husband's remarrying, exposure to physical, verbal and psychological violence, and Emotional, financial and personality negligence all were significantly higher in the respondent group. Additionally the inter-spousal relationship and family milieu have been affected negatively, also the inability to reproduce is a life-size problem in more than three quarters of the sample causing various emotional conflicts as sorrow, jealousy, psychological strain, frustration, feeling with inferiority and low self-esteem. Minority of the infertile women depend on medical treatment alone as fertility seeking behavior, whereas majority sought traditional and faith healers options. Conclusion: infertility is a stressful experience, and it become devastating in traditional societies like our culture, where infertility is seen as the problem of woman not the man. This may subject her to stigmatization, exploitation and other social consequences apparent in terms of threats, marital disruption, physical abuse, emotional negligence, economic dispossession and social ostracism distressing her emotional and social health that necessitate the setting up of the new reproductive technologies with couples education and sympathetic marital counseling. Keywords: infertility, women, Mosul
Keywords
Infertility; women; Mosul

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