Awareness of risk factors associated with tubal infertility among female youth corps members in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

Infertility is the inability to achieve pregnancy within one year of regular unprotected coital exposures. It is a common gynecological problem in our environment. The cause of infertility could be of female origin, male origin, a combination of both, or idiopathic. It can be primary when there is no previous pregnancy, or secondary infertility when there is an inability to conceive after a previous conception. In secondary infertility, a tubal factor is the most typical cause globally. In a review of factors associated with tubal factor infertility in a tertiary hospital in southern Nigeria, the tubal aspect constituted 13.5%. It was due to previous post-abortion sepsis, puerperal sepsis, and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). Awareness of infertility risk factors is an essential first step to safeguard future fertility; however, several studies demonstrated poor knowledge of tubal infertility and its risk factors, especially among infertile couples and couples attending gynecology clinics. This study assesses the knowledge of female youth corps members in Benin City, Edo State, on tubal factor infertility, its risk factors, and management. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among female youth corps members in Benin City using a multi-stage sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The data was entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25.0 (IBM SPSS V 25.0, Chicago, IL, USA) and presented using tables. From this study, there is good knowledge of the burden of tubal infertility and treatment implications (50.4%). However, the knowledge of tubal infertility (34.3%) and its risk factors (27.0%) was poor. Age, marriage, and the medical profession are associated with sound knowledge of the burden of tubal infertility (p=0.02). However, only the medical profession is independently associated with good knowledge of tubal infertility (AOR=2.963, p=0.006, CI=1.370-6.411). There is generally poor knowledge of tubal infertility among females of reproductive age, who are at higher risk of pelvic inflammatory disease being the most typical risk factor for tubal infertility. This calls for more health awareness programs for the youth to help safeguard their future fertility.