A GNA Feature by Solomon Gumah
Tamale, Sept. 09, GNA – “When we could not give birth after two consecutive years of staying together as a couple, it became a nightmare in our marriage, especially when our parents began asking for grandchildren,” Mr and Mrs Nakoja Nimong of Bundol in the Yendi Municipality of the Northern Region have said.
Sharing their ordeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the couple said they began exploring various remedies, including herbs and concoctions from different herbalists.
“We began exploring all available remedies, including herbs and concoctions from all manner of herbalists. There were times when we were made to drink and bathe in bitter herbs and other concoctions as spiritual purification for childbirth, all to no avail,” they said.
They said at some point, seeking medical attention was not an option because they had been made to believe that their situation was spiritual and, therefore, did not require medical intervention.
After five years of being unable to have children, it took the advice of a national service person in their community to convince them to undergo medical examinations, and that single decision resulted in the birth of their first child.
For Madam Asana Alhassan, a resident of the Sagnarigu Municipality, the journey to motherhood was equally challenging.
She waited 10 years in marriage before having her first child, a period she described as one that tested her patience and resilience.
Narrating her experience to the GNA, Madam Alhassan said her struggle had taught her the importance of patience, adherence to medical advice and the need to seek professional assistance rather than relying on unproven remedies.
She encouraged couples experiencing similar challenges not to lose hope or allow social pressure to push them into unverified treatments.
She said couples needed to remain committed to appropriate treatment and avoid moving from one remedy to another without first establishing the actual cause of their inability to conceive.
Infertility
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines infertility as a disease of the male or female reproductive system characterised by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse.
Studies in Ghana have reported infertility prevalence estimates ranging from about 12 to 15 per cent among couples of reproductive age.
Medical intervention
Dr Asomma Kubire, a Resident Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, has cautioned couples struggling with infertility against resorting to unverified herbal medicines, concoctions and other unproven treatments in their quest to have children.
He said such practices could worsen underlying reproductive conditions and delay appropriate medical intervention, particularly when couples had not established the actual cause of their inability to conceive.
Dr Kubire, in an interview with the GNA in Tamale, said infertility could result from several factors affecting either the man or woman, and treatment must therefore be preceded by proper medical assessment to determine the specific cause.
He questioned how an unproven herbal preparation could effectively treat a specific reproductive problem when the underlying condition had not been medically diagnosed.
Dr Kubire said some women consumed or inserted herbal preparations in attempts to treat infertility, warning that such practices could potentially worsen reproductive conditions, including problems affecting the fallopian tubes.
He underscored the need for couples experiencing difficulty conceiving to seek early care from qualified health professionals rather than moving from one unproven remedy to another.
Dr Kubire also dispelled the perception that infertility was predominantly a woman’s problem, saying both partners must be investigated to establish the possible cause.
He said medical investigations should therefore involve both partners before treatment was prescribed.
For men, Dr Kubire said doctors could take a detailed medical history and conduct semen analysis to assess sperm characteristics, including sperm count and motility.
He noted that previous infections and excessive exposure of the testicles to heat could affect male fertility.
For women, he said investigations could include assessment of the uterus, fallopian tubes and hormonal function of the ovaries.
Dr Kubire said ultrasound could form part of the investigations but cautioned couples against assuming that a normal scan automatically meant that a woman had no fertility problem.
“Ultrasound cannot reveal a lot of things,” he said, stressing the importance of proper interpretation of medical investigations by qualified professionals.
Dr Kubire further disclosed that age was an important consideration in infertility management, particularly among women, because women were born with a finite number of eggs, which declined with age.
He said doctors would therefore approach infertility differently in a woman aged 35 years or older compared with a younger woman because delays could reduce the available opportunities for intervention.
Dr Kubire advised couples experiencing difficulty conceiving to visit a hospital early for appropriate evaluation and management.
Role of faith
Apostle Simon Ansomabadi, General Overseer of the Chosen Ambassadors Ministry International in Tamale, said religious beliefs influenced how some couples understood and responded to infertility.
He said faith should provide couples with hope, encouragement and emotional support rather than expose them to condemnation or practices that could delay appropriate medical care.
Apostle Ansomabadi encouraged religious leaders to collaborate with health professionals to educate their congregations about infertility and discourage the stigmatisation of couples, particularly women, who were unable to conceive.
He said prayer and medical treatment should not necessarily be presented as mutually exclusive, encouraging couples to seek appropriate medical care while maintaining their faith.
Rethinking adoption
Mr Alhassan Abu Safianu, Assembly Member for the Bunbon Electoral Area in the Yendi Municipality, said community perceptions about adoption needed to change as part of the broader conversation on infertility.
He said some communities continued to place a strong emphasis on biological parenthood, making it difficult for couples to consider adoption as an alternative pathway to family life.
Mr Safianu called for increased community education to promote acceptance of adopted children and discourage perceptions that treated them differently from biological children.
GNA/
Writer’s Email: [email protected]
Edited by Albert Futukpor/Audrey Dekalu