Unprotected intercourse for over a year does not help to conceive is considered infertility. Worldwide almost 10% population are suffering from infertility in their reproductive age. Sperm, oocyte, uterus, fallopian tube, and ovaries need to be healthy for a natural conception. A healthy couple has a 15% probability per cycle to conceive naturally. Usually, couples visit the infertility specialists within 3 to 4 months after they fail to conceive during this time. Often counseling helps anxious couples to naturally conceive in the future. But anatomical or physiological issues like low sperm count, tubal blockage, endometriosis, or polycystic ovarian syndrome induced infertility to need medical intervention to have a child.
In many countries like India, a woman feels social pressure to conceive soon after her marriage. The woman has to carry the burden of infertility even her male partner has the problem. Infertility creates social obstruction, psychological pressure, and depression in infertile couples, especially in female partners.
Infertile couples often go to quacks and astrologers to solve their issues due to social stress and unawareness. But asking for help from quacks and astrologers does not give any solution but is a wastage of money and valuable time. Right medical intervention at the early phase increases the chances of a successful pregnancy. Women’s fertility remains for a limited period as every woman is born with a fixed number of eggs. The ovarian reserve becomes low after 35 years of age. Therefore, time is a considerable factor for female infertility treatment.
However, infertile couples are often demoralized because of social stress issues. In such cases, couples can deal with these issues by gathering proper medical awareness. Medical awareness helps them to receive the right treatment at the right time. However, social awareness is another essential factor to deal with infertility issues as it allows the couple to face their problem with dignity and privacy.
Still, a woman’s value is measure through her ability to give childbirth rather than any of her academic or professional achievements due to nonsense social believes. But unfortunately, women themselves are responsible for this situation in many cases. Often elderly women of the family physically and mentally abuse the woman who unable to conceive. But instead of doing such cruelty supporting the poor victims of infertility can solve the psychological stress of the couple.
Infertility issue leads a stressful lifestyle for both the married couple. In some cases, infertility causes marital disharmony that often brings divorce. Women are considered responsible for infertility and their husband or male partner engages in polygyny to have biological children.
Women empowerment is crucial to fight against social factors that harass a woman because of infertility issues. Government should take multi-level action to empower women. Women empowerment gives women enough confidence to deal with social issues. Moreover, reproductive advancement brings many advanced fertility treatment options that resolve infertility problems. Along with medical advancement, our society needs to lend forward a helping hand.
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14529236/
