We often think of infertility as a problem of the Western developed world - and when it comes to sub-Saharan Africa, news tends to focus on the problems of high fertility rates rather than those who have difficulties getting pregnant.
Now, an anthropologist from Brown university in the States has published some fascinating research about the stigma of infertlilty in Nigeria where the lack of understanding and sympathy that some women who can't conceive face can be shocking. In certain areas, infertile women are treated particularly badly - they are not regarded as proper women and often find they are forced to live on the margins of society. Their fertility problems frequently lead to divorce and financial difficulties. The researchers say that "the necessity for a woman to have a child remains basic in this region. Motherhood continues to define an individual woman's treatment in her community, her self-respect, and her understanding of womanhood." I wonder quite how different we really feel it is here...
You can read more about the research at www.scienceblog.com
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