PHOTO: Dr. Doughbeh Chris Nyan
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
A top Liberian Medical Doctor and Scientist based in the United States, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan has said if the infertility stigma must be reduced, the government must first recognize infertility as a public health issue and then provide societal awareness and education about it.
In in the Liberian society nowadays, infertility stigmatization has become so prevalent that it is almost like a normal way of life for women facing the issue of bareness. This has caused trauma and even divorce in the worst case scenario for some.
Dr. Dougbeh Cris Nyan, who is Chief Medical and Scientific Officer (CMSO) laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Department of Molecular Pathogen Diagnostics based in the US, has told www.newspublictrust.com that this is a way of addressing the stigma.
“First, the government needs to recognized infertility as a public health issue and then provide societal awareness and education about infertility as a way of addressing the stigma associated with this medical condition,” Dr. Nyan said.
Responding to a series of questions on the condition of infertility stigma in Liberia,
the Liberian medical scientist said that the healthcare system needs to conduct couple-counseling about fertility or infertility, so as to prevent the discrimination and prejudices that partners face if they are unable to get pregnant and bear a child.
Dr. Nyan told this news outlet that people in the society need to be involved in education and community-based clinical awareness campaign related to the causes of infertility, knowledge about treatment options, as well as being supportive of couples who are experiencing difficulties having children.
The Liberian medical expert further stated that male partners need to understand that infertility is a medical problem confronting their wives. Male partners need to be helpful in exploring treatment possibilities for their wives and being emotionally supportive and comforting.
Government, he said, needs to provide couples with prenatal counseling and provide the means for treatment of conditions that can lead to infertility, among other things.