Introduction
In Africa, and specifically in sub-Saharan Africa, women suffer from several sociocultural and health problems that prevent them from asserting themselves in all respects. One of these problems is infertility, which affects 16.4% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa, the highest rate in the world. This article examines the origins of infertility and its impact on women and society. The article also does not overlook the current state of scientific research on this issue.
Definition of Concepts
To understand the problem of infertility, it is necessary to clarify two concepts: sub-Saharan Africa and infertility. The former refers to African countries located south of the Sahara; these include Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Chad. The latter can be understood as a human being’s ability to reproduce, that is, to have children. Often, in African couples, women bear the burden of infertility even if they do not suffer from it, because African societies have developed a simple technique for treating infertility: blaming the woman for this condition without questioning its true origin.
Female Infertility: A Divine Curse?
Sub-Saharan Africa has both the highest fertility and infertility rates in the world. Is this a divine curse? In this part of Africa, it is customary to attribute the cause of infertility to supernatural forces. When a woman delays having a child quickly, her loved ones point to a divine curse (“God closed her uterus because of a past sin” such as abortion) or the wickedness of demonic forces. However, it is rare to attribute the cause of infertility to organic or anatomical dysfunction of the reproductive organs of either the woman or the man. Instead of undergoing medical examinations, African women prefer to consult marabouts to be bewitch themselves or to seek treatment from non-professional traditional healers, who subtly strip them of their resources and sexually exploit their vulnerability. Furthermore, in sub-Saharan Africa, mystical forces interfere with couples’ procreation. These forces are sometimes commanded by powerful sorcerers, often solicited by the couple’s relatives, who want to see them unhappy out of jealousy and who work tirelessly in the shadows to prevent any attempt at pregnancy.
Society’s View of Female Infertility
African society, specifically sub-Saharan Africa, does not appreciate infertility. It views infertile women with disapproval. That said, the social view of infertility primarily impacts the women who suffer from it. They are ridiculed, excluded from fertile women, and denied the right to have children on the grounds that they must have their own. Worse, they are beaten by their husbands or relatives. To escape this ordeal, they are willing to spend their savings and take all risks to have at least one child, even if the child later dies. Here again, the sex of the child matters: African communities have a preference for the male sex. Then, the impact of infertility is also observed on society. In the African context, the child occupies a central place in the collective imagination, in the strength of couples, and in solidarity between communities. In other words, a couple that does not have children is frowned upon and dismissed when social issues are addressed. As a result, society becomes repressive, discriminatory, and closed-minded towards women suffering from infertility. And this undoubtedly creates crises and social fissures within it. Infertility and the Current State of Scientific Research. To date, numerous scientific studies (biological sciences, medicine, social sciences) have addressed infertility in Africa as a real problem. The results of this research are numerous and mixed, although progress has been observed. This question remains relevant: is infertility a biological or a social phenomenon? Obviously, there is still work to be done, especially in medicine, to educate couples wishing to have children about the opportunities and challenges associated with this crucial issue in an era where infertility is no longer primarily a problem for women but also for men.
Conclusion
As long as infertility is not understood as a social fact and a reproductive health problem that affects both women and men, women in sub-Saharan Africa will continue to suffer the fateful thunderbolt of unjust discrimination related to infertility, which they often did not request, but which is imposed on them by nature or the will of human beings inhabited by evil spirits. To alleviate their suffering, it is beneficial that reproductive health policies and scientific research be conducted with more commitment on the ground than in speeches.
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