Self-help treatment methods and aetiology of infertility among couples seeking in-vitro fertilization in a private fertility clinic, Awka, Nigeria

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Infertility is considered a serious problem in low and
middle-income countries due to the premium placed
on childbearing.

OBJECTIVES
To determine self-help treatment methods, aetiology
of infertility, sources of information for Assisted
Reproductive Technology and sources of verbal or
physical abuse of women seeking Assisted
Reproductive Technology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. A total of
thirty-six couples were recruited for in-vitro
fertilization using systematic sampling technique.
Structured questionnaires were administered to all
the selected subjects in order to extract relevant
baseline information on self-help treatment methods
and socio-demographic data. Inclusion criteria were
subjects consenting to participate in this study, those
within age range between 25 and 60 years old, those
whose infertility (primary or secondary) is persisting
longer than one year and those who have not been
receiving antibiotics treatment before the
commencement of the study. Subjects were excluded
on the basis of being under 25 years old, those
receiving antibiotics treatment before the study and
those not visiting the clinics for assisted
reproduction. Clinical and laboratory techniques
were used to determine the causes of the subject’s
infertility. Sono saline hysterogram and laparoscopy
and dye test were used to reveal the aetiology of
female infertility while semen analysis was used to
assess the male subjects.

RESULTS
A total of thirty-six women were recruited for in-vitro
fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF/ET) procedure.
Majority of the subjects 15 (41.7%) had previously
self-treated infections with herbal medications only.
Fourteen women (38.9%) reported frequent abuse by
their family relatives either verbally or physically for
their infertility. Blocked fallopian tubes was the
commonest aetiology of infertility in females 15
(41.7%) as revealed by laparoscopy and dye test. It
was observed that the 21 couples (58.3%) who had
previous history of sexually transmitted diseases
recorded highest frequency in the distribution of
potential risk factors associated with genital
bacterial infections. Twenty-three couples (63.9%)
reported social media as the most frequent sources
of information for Assisted Reproductive Technology
(ART).

CONCLUSION
Social media has been reported as the major source
of information concerning assisted reproductive
technology among couples. Bilateral tubal blockage
and poor semen quality are the commonest
aetiology of infertility in this study. Majority of the
subjects had treated sexually transmitted infections
with herbal medications. However, there is urgent
need for public education on the contribution of
couples to infertility and current treatment methods.