Being Childless

Exploring the factors affecting involuntary infertility in South-East Nigeria

Abstract

Childlessness among couples is a serious issue in many societies with societal reactions that are shaped by culture of the society that the couples find themselves.  While several studies explored childlessness from different perspectives, this particular study examined the causes of involuntary infertility from the perspective of rural communities in Southeast Nigerian with particular focus on Imo State. They study adopted the mixed research method combining qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data from 256 respondents. Findings revealed that only a slight majority of the respondents 91(35.5%) associated infertility with harmful health practices; whereas in response to another question, up to 88 study participants representing 34.4% were of the view that infertility is caused by different spirits that could possess individuals. In response to another question, 102 (39.8%) of the respondents strongly disagreed that childlessness could be a voluntary decision or choice of couples involved. The study therefore concluded that the extent of awareness among couples and general public determines their perception of infertility and consequently recommended an increase in public enlightenment efforts within the communities.