Men and infertility in The Gambia: Limited biomedical knowledge and awareness discourage male involvement and exacerbate gender-based impacts of infertility.
Adult
Africa South of the Sahara
/ epidemiology
Data Analysis
Data Collection
Emotions
Erectile Dysfunction
Gambia
/ epidemiology
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
/ ethnology
Humans
Infertility, Male
/ epidemiology
Knowledge
Male
Masculinity
Middle Aged
Pilot Projects
Public Health
Rural Population
Social Stigma
Journal
PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
Titre abrégé: PLoS One
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101285081
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2021
2021
Historique:
received:
07
04
2021
accepted:
02
11
2021
entrez:
29
11
2021
pubmed:
30
11
2021
medline:
22
1
2022
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Infertility in Sub-Saharan Africa constitutes an important social and public health problem. Yet, there is a paucity of research on the experiences of men living with infertility, especially in West Africa. This study explored men's aetiological knowledge, views and experiences of infertility in the West Coast region of The Gambia, West Africa. An explorative qualitative study was conducted among men living in the rural and urban communities of the West Coast region of The Gambia using in-depth interviews. Data collection and analysis were performed concurrently, and thematic data analysis was an iterative process carried out using NVivo 11 Analysis Software. Gambian men had generally poor knowledge of infertility, allocating it to God, spiritual powers and bodily (biomedical) factors. While societal norms meant that infertility was generally attributed to women, some men allocated male-factor infertility to poor sperm quality and impotence. Infertility threatened participants' sense of masculinity and resulted in psychosocial distress, including stigma, feelings of isolation, and low self-esteem. Normative gendered frameworks of infertility result in high levels of female responsibilisation in the Gambian context. Yet men diagnosed with infertility experience significant, often unrecognized, psychological and social distress. We therefore call for increased attention to male-factor infertility, and the promotion of male engagement with infertility-care and services, both of which are essential for successfully addressing infertility and it's psychosocial consequences in The Gambia.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34843498
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260084
pii: PONE-D-21-11411
pmc: PMC8629172
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
e0260084Subventions
Organisme : Medical Research Council
ID : MC_UP_A900_1115
Pays : United Kingdom
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Références
PLoS One. 2019 Jan 31;14(1):e0211634
pubmed: 30703136
Hum Reprod. 2011 Mar;26(3):623-9
pubmed: 21216790
Fertil Res Pract. 2019 Jul 4;5:6
pubmed: 31312510
Hum Reprod Update. 2015 Jul-Aug;21(4):411-26
pubmed: 25801630
Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2011;3(4):257-66
pubmed: 24753875
Cult Health Sex. 2020 Nov 2;:1-16
pubmed: 33135970
PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54429
pubmed: 23342158
PLoS One. 2019 Dec 4;14(12):e0226079
pubmed: 31800633
Soc Sci Med. 1998 Apr;46(7):891-9
pubmed: 9541074
Reprod Health. 2013 Jan 15;10:3
pubmed: 23317173
Hum Reprod. 2010 Aug;25(8):2024-30
pubmed: 20573675
Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2011;3(2):77-88
pubmed: 24753853
Ethn Health. 2016 Aug;21(4):357-74
pubmed: 26778613
BMC Public Health. 2014 Aug 16;14:855
pubmed: 25128911
Anthropol Med. 2011 Dec;18(3):327-38
pubmed: 22060126
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2021 Jan 25;:
pubmed: 33534749
Med Anthropol. 2002 Jan-Mar;21(1):79-112
pubmed: 12005468
Patient Educ Couns. 1997 May;31(1):29-37
pubmed: 9197800
PLoS Med. 2016 Nov 22;13(11):e1002172
pubmed: 27875532
Reprod Health. 2019 Jul 15;16(1):103
pubmed: 31307488
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2013 Mar 21;13:72
pubmed: 23517021
Reprod Biomed Online. 2014 Mar;28(3):267-72
pubmed: 24444813
Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2010;2(3):194-207
pubmed: 25013712
Anthropol Med. 2014;21(2):174-88
pubmed: 25175293
Reprod Health. 2018 Sep 12;15(1):151
pubmed: 30208896
Cult Health Sex. 2013;15(6):667-79
pubmed: 23550631
Hum Reprod. 2004 Apr;19(4):960-7
pubmed: 15016772
Afr J Reprod Health. 2009 Sep;13(3):85-98
pubmed: 20690264