Collaborative Research: The Cultural Context of Infertility in Southern Nigeria: Meanings, Consequences and Coping Mechanisms

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Infertility (the inability to conceive or to carry a pregnancy to full term) is a problem of major proportions in sub-Saharan Africa, where in many societies women who are unable to bear children are stigmatized and are often unable to reach full social adulthood. The problem of infertility in Africa received relatively little attention from social scientists since it was obscured by the region's high fertility rates, which resulted in a concern over population growth. This research by a team of an anthropologist, a demographer and a sociologist involves a comparative in-depth study of infertility in the context of two southern Nigerian communities. It will investigate local meanings of infertility as these are shaped by the social and cultural context; the impact of the prevalence of infertility on these meanings; and how the community responses as well as the life experiences and treatment-seeking behaviors of infertile women and their male partners among the Ijo and Yakurr people. The two communities, Patani in the Niger Delta and Ugep in Cross River State, are primarily rural and located in the same region of the country. Descent in Patani is patrilineal whereas in Ugep it is double unilineal. In addition, high levels of infertility are historically documented for Ugep, whereas infertility levels in Patani are relatively low. The amount of stigma attached to female infertility in Patani is considerably higher than it is in Ugep. The project will study how these differential responses to infertility are related to the differences in social organization and infertility rates. This comparative study of these communities will examine the meaning of infertility in its local context as well as analyze the social and cultural variables that influence those meanings. The broader impact of the research lies in the value of the new information for policy makers, health care specialists and social service providers. Given that no cure exists for infertility in the context of sub-Saharan African, prevention through awareness of the causes of infertility is the only means whereby its incidence and prevalence may be lowered. A better understanding of the social consequences of infertility will help formulate strategies aimed at ameliorating the stigma associated with it and also contribute to better understanding of fertility. The research will also contribute to building a partnership with Nigerian researchers. The intellectual merit lies in a contribution to the field of demographic anthropology, specifically to the creation of "whole demographies" which take account of the interaction of individuals with their cultural contexts.