Treatment Seeking Behaviour Among Women With Infertility In Greater Accra Region

ABSTRACT Infertility is a significant public health issue with grave social consequences that seems to affect women more than men. Globally, 15% of couples in their reproductive stage of development are affected with infertility at an estimated prevalence of 48.5 to 70 million couples worldwide. The vulnerable impression of infertility makes women with infertility wander in circles not knowing exactly what to do to avert childlessness; worsening their plight, wasting time and increasing treatment cost. This study therefore explored the treatment seeking behaviour among women with infertility in Greater Accra Region, using the Theory of Reasoned Action as an organising framework. An exploratory descriptive design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 14 women with infertility through purposive and snowball sampling technique. Data were drawn from women with infertility in the community who visited churches, hospitals, herbal clinics and prayer camps. Thematic content analysis was employed for data analysis after audio recorded interviews transcribed verbatim. Out of which seven major themes and twenty-two subthemes were derived. The findings revealed that women with infertility consult herbalists, seek hospital treatment, and engage in faith-based spiritual activities in addition to modification of their lifestyle in order to have children. However attention was drawn to the fact that financial limitation, religion, menopause, inadequate knowledge about infertility treatment, among others are possible barriers to seeking treatment. These findings have implications for Nursing practice, Nursing research, community sensitization and counselling. Recommendations are made to Ghana Health Service and fertility clinics to train frontline healthcare providers in the management of infertility in Ghana.