Social construction of the meaning of infertility in Kenya : a case of Kisumu County

Abstract

This study aims at establishing the construction of the meaning of infertility. It relies on the social constructionist perspective and descriptive research design to understanding the meaning-making process and to capture characteristics of events/experiences of couples who have had difficulty getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. The study employed the use of semi-structured questionnaires to gather information from 200 respondents, six Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) comprising of 10-12 individuals and thirty six (36) Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). The study disclosed that the concept of infertility bears strong social, cultural and economic undertones. In particular, infertility is given negative labels embedded in the community’s socio-cultural set up. The study concludes that the meaning of infertility has to do with the reasons/factors behind childbearing. In Kisumu County, children are quite vital and not predictive of the residents’ experiences but also their future. The meaning of infertility is thus extended to include concerns about family lineage. The study recommends for a comprehensive education program within Kisumu County aimed at filling the existing knowledge gap about infertility and any myths associated with it. It also calls for the need to re-define parenthood and adopt alternative ways of parenting like foster care