US Infertility Week: Clarion call for Africa’s teenagers and youth concerns

LILIAN CHUDEY PRIDE

Lilian Chudey Pride, “The Childless Woman’s Coach” is author of “Life Beyond Motherhood”; “Dignity of Womanhood”, and the publisher of iwriteafrica.com, an online magazine. Her books can be found on amazon.com and she can be reached on email: liliancpride@gmail.com; and lilian@iwriteafrica.com

The United States of America carefully chose its 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 a patient’s rights to infertility care and a provider’s right to practise 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 SDGs and Africa’s teenagers and youth

According to the UN’s State of the World’s Youth, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 percent 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 70th 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’s access to health and health care. 

“Make Your Voice Loud”

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, was 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 guides 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 organisations, faith-based institutions, and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) among others should actively get involved.  Each of these has roles to play in the mobilisation and communication strategies relevant to the actualisation 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.

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