"Spoiling the womb": definitions, aetiologies and responses to infertility in north west province, Cameroon.
Afr J Reprod Health
; 6(1): 84-94, 2002 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-12476732
ABSTRACT
Only one generation ago, the Cameroonian national population policy was pro-natalist, with great attention paid to the problem of sterility. Now, family planning is promoted nationwide to reduce population growth, and infertility is not addressed by public health policy or services. In contrast to the biomedical definition used by planners, at the local level infertility is defined as the inability to have a child when desired, and it has many causes including contraception, abortion and witchcraft. The young, less educated women especially are unlikely to use contraception as long as they feel susceptible to infertility, since their economic, social and psychological status hinge on their ability to have children. Drawing from epidemiological literature and qualitative data gathered in a market town in North West Province, I argue that a more balanced approach to reproductive health, one that recognises the importance of infertility, is critical for women's health and well-being.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Política de Planejamento Familiar
/
Serviços de Planejamento Familiar
/
Infertilidade Feminina
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Female
/
Humans
País como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2002
Tipo de documento:
Article