Beyond childlessness: a qualitative exploration of the psychosocial impact of infertility among women in Southern Ghana.

Abstract

Pregnancy and childbearing immediately after marriage are often viewed as an indication of womanhood and parenthood within the African context. This study explored the psychosocial impacts of infertility among women in Southern Ghana, seeking to answer the research question: 'How do women in Southern Ghana experience the psychosocial impacts of infertility?' A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was employed. Data were collected at a designated hospital using a semi-structured interview guide. The study was conducted in the obstetrics and gynaecology outpatient department of one of the public district hospitals in the Weija-Gbawe subdistrict in Ghana, where 20 women diagnosed with either primary or secondary infertility were interviewed for 45 min to 1 hour each. With all participants completing the study, interviews were audiotaped with consent, transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis. The findings indicate that women experiencing infertility faced multiple psychosocial challenges, including depression, anxiety, reduced sexual desire, stigma, marital instability and deliberate social isolation. Infertility significantly compromises women's psychosocial well-being, leading to pervasive negative experiences across social and personal contexts. These challenges adversely affect quality of life and overall well-being, with potential implications for their reproductive outcomes.