IntroductionWomen with infertility have different experiences that determine the quality of their psychosocial health. Cultural constructions of infertility in Africa have made the experience of infertility among African women more burdensome. Yet, little is known about the psychosocial experiences of women with infertility in Zamfara State of Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to explore the psychosocial experiences of women with infertility in Zamfara.Materials and methodsAn exploratory qualitative design was used for this exploration. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Ethical approval was received from the Institutional Review Board of the Nogouchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in the University of Ghana. Women who were married and seeking treatment for infertility from a public hospital were recruited and interviewed. A total of 12 women were interviewed with each interview lasting 45 minutes. The interviews were audiotaped with permission from the participants, transcribed verbatim, and content analysed.ResultsThe findings revealed that psychologically, majority of the women had experienced anxiety, stress and depression as a result of their inability to get pregnant. Socially, the women suffered self and social isolation, social stigma, social pressure and marital problems.ConclusionThese women have psychosocial health problems that need the attention of health professionals to enhance their wellbeing.

In Africa, the inability to bear children is a stressful situation that affects the self-worth of women socially and psychologically. As a result, women with infertility in Africa use different strategies to cope, which may influence their health-seeking behaviors. The purpose of this study was to explore the coping strategies and health-seeking behaviors of women with infertility in the Zamfara State of Nigeria. A qualitative approach using an exploratory descriptive design was used to obtain information relevant for the study. Twelve women who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected using a purposive sampling technique. A semistructured interview guide was used to conduct in-depth individual interviews after the women consented to participate. Content analysis of the data was conducted. The findings suggest that the major coping strategies adopted by these women were religion, social support, child adoption, and distraction activities. In terms of health-seeking behavior, the women sought help for their infertility from both traditional medicine and orthodox treatment. However, they frequently withdrew from treatment or changed the health facility due to perceived reduction in benefits.

Background: A contraceptive choice that couples make is a key component of the Sustainable Development Goal agenda and a major contributor to national health. In spite of the importance of increased contraceptive uptake among couples of reproductive ages, meeting the reproductive health rights of women remains an issue due to multi-faceted obstacles within complex environments. The issues which impact women's reproductive health rights in relation to contraception relate to availability, accessibility, affordability, literacy, tradition, and culture. This study explores the influence of socio-demographic data on the choice of contraceptives among women who are accessing family planning services at a Specialist hospital, Sokoto-Nigeria. Methods: A cross sectional study was used in this quantitative research to generate data on contraceptive choices of women within the reproductive age (18-49 years) who are accessing family planning services at Specialist hospital, Sokoto. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from 352 respondents who were randomly sampled at a Specialist hospital, Sokoto-Nigeria. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analyses were used in the data analyses. Results: The findings of this study established age, occupation and level of education to be related with the usage and choice of contraceptives among women attending family planning unit at a Specialist hospital in Sokoto. Conclusions: The result of the study indicated that the socio-demographic data of the respondent, has a significant role in the choice of contraceptives among the women attending family planning unit of Specialist Hospital Sokoto.

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