Determinants of Infertility among Married Women Attending Infertility Clinics, at two Teaching Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Date
2021-09
Authors
Matewos, Seblewongel
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background: Infertility is a global public health issue affecting approximately 8 to 12% of
couples worldwide, with 9% of the global average. In Ethiopia, according to the DHS data,
the prevalence of primary and secondary infertility in 2005 was 3.3% 4.6% respectively. The
prevalence differs by place of residence, marital status, age of respondent, age at first
marriage, and number of unions. The causes of infertility are various, including socioeconomic
factors, lifestyle, reproductive history, and childbearing status. In developing
societies, childlessness is often highly stigmatized and leads to profound social suffering for
infertile women; however, most infertile people in the developing world have virtually no
access to effective treatment.
Objective: To identify the determinants of infertility among married women attending an
infertility clinic at two teaching hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Methods: An institution-based unmatched case-control study was conducted at two teaching
hospitals, gynecology and obstetrics infertility clinics in Addis Ababa. A total of 234 women
was included in the study. Study participants was selected using a systematic random
sampling technique for both cases and controls. Data was collected using a pre-tested
interviewer-administered structured questionnaire by trained data collectors. The data was
checked for completeness, cleaned, entered, and analyzed using SPSS version 24.0.
Results: Approximately 52.6% (41 females) of the samples had secondary infertility, while
47.4% had primary infertility (37 females). After logistic regression was made, the
determinants of infertility identified were age of women (AOR=4.914; 95%CI: 2.3.60,
10.230), menstrual regularity (AOR= 2.859; 95%CI: 1.338, 6.109), history of TB infection
(AOR = 8.518; 95%CI: 1.554, 46.702) and frequency of sexual intercourse (AOR= 5.304;
95%CI: (2.046, 13.749)
Conclusion and recommendations: Secondary infertility accounts for 52.6% of the infertile
women, while primary infertility accounts for 47.4% of them. Age of women, menstrual
regularity, History of TB infection and frequency of sexual intercourse were found to be
determinants of female infertility.
Description
Keywords
Infertility,married women