If fear of infertility restricts contraception use, what do we know about this fear? An examination in rural Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Ethiopia has made great progress toward reducing unmet need for family planning and increasing contraception use over the last decade. However, almost one-quarter of women still have an unmet need. The primary reason for non-use is “method-related health concerns” and, within this broad category, the belief that using contraception will cause infertility is common. This belief extends beyond Ethiopia to low-, middle-, and high-income countries across the world. The objective of this paper is to examine associations with the belief that contraception use causes infertility and to subsequently suggest potential strategies to address this misperception. Methods We collected data from women of reproductive age (between 15 and 49 years old) in 115 rural districts of Ethiopia (n = 706). Our main outcome variable was the belief that contraception causes infertility. We analyzed data, both individual-level factors and interpersonal factors, using nested logistic regression models. Results Almost half of women in our sample (48.2%) believed that contraceptive use causes infertility. In the final model that included factors from both levels, self-efficacy to use contraception (AOR = 0.81, p < 0.05), visiting a health center and speaking to a provider about family planning in the last 12 months (AOR = 0.78, p < 0.05), and husband support of contraception (AOR = 0.77, p < 0.01) were associated with a reduction in the odds of believing that contraception causes infertility. The belief that infertility will result in abandonment from one’s husband (AOR = 3.06, p < 0.001) was associated with an increase in the odds of holding the belief that contraception causes infertility. A home visit in the last 12 months from a health worker who discussed family planning was not associated with the belief that contraceptive use causes infertility. Conclusions Given that this belief is both salient and positively associated with other fears such as abandonment from one’s husband, it is critical for family planning programs to address it. Communication campaigns or interventions that address this misperception among couples may diminish this belief, thereby increasing contraception use and reducing unmet need in rural Ethiopia.

Strategies to enhance indigenous Ugandan men’s support for the utilisation of LARCs amongst rural women in Uganda: A qualitative study

“…"A woman easily leaves the marriage if they don't have many children with the man" (FGD K5) This current nding correlates with the one study conducted in Ethiopia [41] which established that women feared using contraceptives because they believed they would become infertile leading to their husbands abandoning them. This is, however, different from the nding in the current study where men are the ones fearing that their wives would leave them for new men.…”

Role of Antioxidants of Natural Herbs in Management of Male Infertility

“…The protection of sperm chromatin from damage is achieved through the incorporation of N-tertbutyl hydroxylamine (NTBH) and SOD/catalase mimetics into the culture conditions. Because research has shown that the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases with increasing incubation time, it is recommended that the incubation period between sperm and oocytes be as short as is practically possible [236]. The makeup of the medium that is used for in vitro fertilisation can have a significant impact on the state of the oocytes and embryos that are to be implanted before they are successfully fertilised (IVF).…”

“…After being ejaculated, spermatozoa go through a sequence of processes, including capacitation, the acrosome response [242], and sperm-oocyte interactions [243], in which myo-Ins plays a part. In addition, research conducted by Calogero and colleagues has shown that taking myo-Ins is a risk-free supplement that has the ability to significantly restore normal levels of serum gonadotropins and inhibin B (a serum marker that evaluates the presence and function of testicular tissue [244], as well as increase the percentage of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa, the concentration of sperm, the total number of sperm, and progressive motility [245].…”

“If I use family planning, I may have trouble getting pregnant next time I want to”: A multicountry survey-based exploration of perceived contraceptive-induced fertility impairment and its relationship to contraceptive behaviors

“…Improved understanding of women’s beliefs about how contraception may affect their future fertility [14] , [15] is important in guiding patient-centered care that addresses women’s concerns. This knowledge is particularly relevant for programs in SSA, where use of contraception among those wishing to avoid pregnancy is often low, unintended pregnancies are common, and legal restrictions limit access to safe abortion, thereby hindering women’s ability to achieve their reproductive goals [16] , [17] , [18] .…”