Infertility (When You Are
Not Able to Have a Baby)
229
Most men and women assume they will be able to have
children. The truth is that about 1 out of every 10 couples
has trouble getting pregnant. Some men and women do
not want to have children. But for couples who look forward
to having children, infertility can bring sorrow, anger, and
disappointment.
Often it is the woman who is blamed if a couple does not
have children. But almost half the time, it is the man who is
infertile. Sometimes a man will not believe it is his problem,
or that it may be a shared problem. He may refuse to go for
an examination, or he may react with anger. Most often this is
because infertility causes shame in communities where a man
is expected to produce children as a sign of his manhood.
Infertility has many causes. Some of them can be treated
and some cannot. This chapter will help you understand
infertility and what you can do about it.
➤ When a couple
cannot have a baby,
it may be because
the man, the woman,
or both have a
fertility problem. It is
a problem that few
people talk about.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012