The United States of America has carefully chosen
their 2024 National Infertility Awareness (NIAW 2024) Week, April 21-27, 2024
theme to be “Leave Your Mark”. This theme has clearly communicated that
infertility and childlessness by circumstances are indeed global issues.
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) puts
it this way: “This year’s theme is: ‘Leave Your Mark’. It’s important that we
advocate year-round for patient’s rights to infertility care and a provider’s
right to practice but following the Alabama Supreme Court’s LePage v. Mobile
Clinic, Inc. decision, your voice is especially important this week, and we
need you to be loud”.
The urgency to speak up about infertility and
involuntary childlessness has never been any better than this. In many parts of
Africa, infertility and childlessness by circumstances have not been topics
that are boldly broached as they are often considered taboo, sin, or both.
Therefore, this call to be “loud” about educating the society on the many
social problems that could emanate from these issues, is a clarion call for
Africa’s teenagers and youth who are most vulnerable and prone to falling
victim to infertility and childlessness sooner or later.
It is no longer a hidden fact that infertility and
circumstantial childlessness have contributed to and may be held responsible
for some of the primary causes of many social problems among couples some of which are domestic violence,
relationships break-ups, financial straits, mistrust, stress, anxiety,
depression, unfulfillment, social aggression, withdrawal syndrome, psychological
trauma, to mention these few.
In Nigeria, we read on pages of tabloids and watch on
television, stories of unpleasant consequences of the risks taken by some
childless individuals especially women who fell victims in the hands of some
quacks, unscrupulous spiritual entities and native/witch doctors who claim to
have solutions to infertility. Many women have lost their lives to the unending
quest to be free from the unfriendly arms of infertility or circumstantial
childlessness.
UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s teenagers and youth
According to UN’s State of the World’s Youth, there
are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 per cent of
the global population. Sustainable
Development Reports Network which monitors the efforts of countries in
implementing the SDGs indicates that Nigeria ranks 146th out of 166
countries subscribing to the SDGs with a score of 54.27/100. Morocco ranks 70
with a score of 70.87/100, Namibia ranks 109 with a score of 64.28, South
Africa ranks 110th with a score of 64.00/100, Kenya ranks 123rd
with a score of 60.91/100 among others.
There are six (6) years left for the United Nations
2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Target 3.7 to be achieved. The SDG
Target 3.7 seeks: “to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health
care services, including family planning, information and education and the
integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes”.
Of particular concern in this regard are Africa’s
teenagers and youth reproductive health and well-being which negligence might
lead to infertility or involuntary childlessness which may spiral into some of
those problems mentioned earlier. Some of the communication strategies outlined
in the SDG: 3 that recommends: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for
all at all ages”, include raising awareness in communities about the importance
of good health, healthy lifestyles, as well as people’s right to quality health
care services especially for the most vulnerable such as women and children.
Holding the government, local leaders, and other decision makers accountable to
their commitments to improve people access to health and health care.
It has become expedient that Africa joins in screaming
out loud the likelihood of infertility and involuntary childlessness grossly
affecting procreation among Africa’s posterity. April 24, 2024, is my thirty
first (31st) marriage anniversary and my 31st year
childless journey, childless not by choice, but by circumstances. Had
reproductive issues not been marginalised as topics taught at puberty and
formative years of our education, many infertility issues would not have shown
their ugly faces at all. Education policy makers and curriculum designers
should as a matter of urgency consider inclusion of instructional guide and
teaching of reproductive health issues at relevant levels of education,
society, and community life.
Africa’s teenagers and youth need to be intentionally
guided and taught lessons on hormonal imbalance, erectile dysfunction, prostate
health, irregular menstruation, rape cases, sexual abuse, psychological trauma,
uninformed self-medication, misdiagnosis, negligence, cultural inhibitions
among others. They should be encouraged
to make their voices “LOUD” in speaking up on the above issues.
However, the government cannot be left alone in the efforts. Different stakeholders for instance, local communities, educational institutions, cultural organizations, faith-based institutions, and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) among others should actively get involved. Each of these has roles to play in the mobilization and communication strategies relevant to the actualization of the specific goals in respect of overcoming infertility, improving health and well-being among teenagers and youth as well as the larger population and promoting the overall SDGs.
*Lilian Chudey Pride is the Childless Woman’s Coach;
Author of “Life Beyond Motherhood”; “Dignity of Womanhood”. Her books can be
found on Amazon.com. She can be reached
on email: liliancpride@gmail.com
