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Difficulties Conceiving and Relationship Stability in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Ghana

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  • Jasmine Fledderjohann

    (Lancaster University)

Abstract

Little is known about the relationship between self-identified difficulties conceiving, biomedical infertility, and union instability in Sub-Saharan Africa. Previous research suggests that infertility increases the risk of psychological distress and marital conflict, encourages risky sexual behaviour, and deprives infertile individuals and couples of an important source of economic and social capital. Qualitative research has suggested that there may be a link between infertility and divorce; less is known about the implications of infertility for unmarried couples. In this paper, discrete-time hazard models are applied to 8 waves of secondary panel data from Ghana collected by the Population Council of New York and the University of Cape Coast (pooled n = 10,418) between 1998 and 2004. Results show a positive relationship between perceived difficulties conceiving and relationship instability for both married women and those in non-marital sexual unions; this relationship, however, does not hold for biomedical infertility. Future research should examine this relationship using nationally representative data in a cross-national comparison to determine whether results hold across the subcontinent.

Suggested Citation

  • Jasmine Fledderjohann, 2017. "Difficulties Conceiving and Relationship Stability in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Ghana," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 33(1), pages 129-152, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurpop:v:33:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s10680-016-9401-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10680-016-9401-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Baffour Takyi & Christopher Broughton, 2006. "Marital Stability in Sub-Saharan Africa: Do Women’s Autonomy and Socioeconomic Situation Matter?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 113-132, April.
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    3. Donkor, Ernestina S. & Sandall, Jane, 2007. "The impact of perceived stigma and mediating social factors on infertility-related stress among women seeking infertility treatment in Southern Ghana," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(8), pages 1683-1694, October.
    4. Hollos, Marida & Larsen, Ulla & Obono, Oka & Whitehouse, Bruce, 2009. "The problem of infertility in high fertility populations: Meanings, consequences and coping mechanisms in two Nigerian communities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(11), pages 2061-2068, June.
    5. repec:cai:poeine:pope_403_0455 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. repec:cai:popine:popu_p1999_11n1_0087 is not listed on IDEAS
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    1. Gizachew Worku Dagnew & Melash Belachew Asresie & Gedefaw Abeje Fekadu & Yared Mulu Gelaw, 2020. "Factors associated with divorce from first union among women in Ethiopia: Further analysis of the 2016 Ethiopia demographic and health survey data," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(12), pages 1-12, December.

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