By Never G. Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Grand Gedeh, Liberia-Several women experiencing infertility in Toe Town, Grand Gedeh County, Southeastern Liberia have decried being stigmatized by both family members and community dwellers.
According to the women, if too much thinking could give them child or children then they would have had many children by now.
The women said the issue of stigmatization has become a “regular song” for them both from their families and community dwellers.
The infertile women told the independent inquirer that stigmatization has become their names add
ing that people can be showing them that go to that woman
who cannot born something that can almost make them to commit suicide.
One of such women is Theresa Baybo, who said she does not know when she was born,
said she was told that was during Tolbert presidency. President Tolbert took
office in 1971 and was overthrown by the military on April 12, 1980.
Madam Baybo, in an face-to-face interview, revealed that since her she was
born, she has never experience any pregnancy in her entire life adding that all
her brother and sister had have children but been left without child or
children.
Explaining in frustration madam Baybo disclosed that worrying about bearing children
is having a toll on her emotions, as during the night hours she usually can’t
sit on her bed without sleeping.
Madam Baybo further narrated that at one point in town, she and someone was
involved confusion and the only word that came from the person mouth was she
cannot born and besides that person, several people in her community have been
stigmatized due to her infertile condition.
She added she was married in the Ivory Coast for more than ten years. But she
went to attend her father wife funeral upon her returned home her husband was
taken another wife all because of her infertile situation.
According to her when she passing in the neighbor, people can be pointing at
her saying here is woman who cannot born adding that she normally raised her
relatives children but as soon as she got big, they can leave her and go their
biological parents.
She expressed that due to her infertile condition, she been thinking so much to
the extent that she felt sick where she was taken to Jackson F. Doe memorial
hospital in Tappita, Nimba County. But infertility test was never done for her,
she said.
Another infertile woman identified as Mamie Karr age 35 said she born her first
child who did not live and over fifteen years now she has never experienced
pregnancy.
Narrating her story in an interview, Madam Karr said because of her infertile
condition, her husband walked out of the relationship.
She further explained that her friends and neighbors can be
telling her that her husband left her should not take their husband and that
not they the one that told her she should not born. “I can only receive but she
cannot bring.”
When she was with her husband, he left her and born three children with
different woman and when tried telling him about his involvement into different
relationship, which “ended breeze”.
Madam Karr expressed that stigmatization from family members and community
dwellers have become the order of the day including her sister in laws who
always mocking her and telling their brother to leave her since she is
childless and her husband has since left three years ago.
She further explained she was diagnosed of groove in her womb and she was
operated thinking that after the operation she could born but up to present she
has never experienced pregnancy.
Finally she added that she was imvolved in business but since her husband
brought confusion to her, he took all the market away from her and took to the
other woman who has bear children for him.
Also another infertile woman in an interview with paper, identified as Marina
Dennis age 37 said since 2003 she got impregnated but the pregnancy didn’t lat.
According to her she got pregnant before in the tube but was operated and her
husband always having serious confusion with her due to her infertile
condition.
Madam Dennis disclosed that the issue of infertility is a serious problem for
her to the extent that when her neighbors playing with babies, they can be
signing it good to born boy or child and can be saying I did not come to eat
people for nothing neither for me to carry lanter and cannot bring back kerosin.
She narrated that due to her constant removal of her pregnancy, her husband has
also born three children with another woman and not any longer playing key
attention to the relationship because of lot mockery from friends and
neighbors, she cannot highly sleep always sitting at night thinking.
Explaining another scenario said currently on the Liberian-Ivory Coast border
there is a issue about the illegal migrant Burkinabaes operating in their
forest and they were called to a town hall meeting where wanted to expressed
their views over Birkinabaes illegal operation in the forest.
Both she and Mamie Karr who live in the border town, but made
their way in Toe town for the awareness were told by their neighbors that they
are talking about their children further but not people who cannot born.
She even when you take someone child to back them or play with them, she can be
told to look for her own.
Furthermore, she was able to take her sister in law daughter from two years up
to twelve years but her pay from the child was an insult and left her and go to
her biological mother.
For her part, Winifred Gbeley, age 35 said about fifteen years ago she has not
also experienced pregnancy but she earlier on born a child but did not live.
According her, when she was her relationship, her sister in laws and community
members have stigmatizing her adding she has been given special name which is
woman that can receive but cannot give and during the time of the relationship,
the man left her again and born by another woman due to her infertile
condition.
Madam Gbeley told this paper that since her infertile situation started she has
never been to hospital but rather she has been taken in country medicine and
normally when she experienced menstruation.
Explaining her infertile situation, madam Gbeley added that she been told by
community members that she lanter carryer who cannot back karosine and the
issue of stigmatization is their everyday song for her.
Explaining in frustration madam Gbeley revealed whenever someone give birth
being that she sells used clothes, when she carried some there to that person,
she can be told that all the time you bringing baby clothes for us what time
will we bring clothes for you too?
Meanwhile, a 42 years woman known as Elizabeth Paye, who has given birth to four
children, but revealed that only two are alive.
She said in 2010, she was pregnant in her tube and she was
operated and is now having one tube. She has not experienced pregnancy yet.
Accoeding to her she has her relationship but her husband is very
understandable
She however disclosed only from her parents and inlaws always telling that she
and their son have stayed longer time together so must born child now but her
husband can usually them God deals with time .
She further said even her own parents can be telling her that her two children
she has, what time she waiting for born another adding that since she was
pregnant in the tube and D&C was done, she has never been to hospital.