Gender issues in the management of infertility in developing countries

Abstract

Infertility and subfertility are a spectrum of diseases encountered globally. It has been estimated that up to 15% of couples experience difficulty in conceiving after 12 months of regular unprotected healthy sexual intercourse.[1] Regular healthy sexual intercourse has no precise definition but is considered when intercourse occurs at least two to three times a week, associated with a conventional erection, penetration, and ejaculation, and devoid of dyspareunia. It is of immense concern that the scourge of infertility is ravaging individuals in resource‐poor settings. Poverty, ignorance, decadence, and distinctive sociocultural background play prominent roles, in this circumstance. Culture as a system of beliefs and values critically affects overall behaviors, including also sexual activity, perceptions, and attitudes towards infertility.[2] The sociocultural diversities have almost always been detrimental to women in developing countries. For instance, despite all efforts to prevent gender discrimination, including constitutional amendments, the issue of male heritage has become morbidly adherent in the mind of even the highly educated citizens in Nigeria.[3] Gender critically affects perceptions of infertility and requires urgent and adequate consideration, especially in developing countries.