Tragedy of Infertile Women of Hindu Society; Study of Middle Class Family of Kathmandu

Infertility is perceived as only a medical problem in Nepalese society and there are no formal data of infertility. It is also a social problem in our society as cultural customs and perceived religious dictums may equate infertility with failure on a personal, interpersonal, or social level. It is imperative that people have adequate knowledge about infertility so couples can seek timely medical care and misconceptions can be rectified. In this paper the aim of this article is to assess the knowledge, perception and myths regarding infertility prevailing among middle class family of Kathmandu. Ethnographic study was carried out in Kathmandu by interviewing a sample of 30 women who were accompanying the patients at three fertility centers in Kathmandu. They were interviewed in consultation with infertility specialists. The appropriate knowledge of infertility was found very poor amongst the participants. 40% of respondents identified the infertility is a pathological and only 60% knew about the fertile period in women’s cycle. Uses of emergency pills, late marriage, isolation of couples due to migrations etc are the causes of infertility were found during the study. Despite these, cultural beliefs, traditions, religious faith, myths etc are also found the important causes of infertility was found in study. Beliefs in cultural factors like evil forces and supernatural powers as a cause of infertility are also still prevalent especially amongst respondents though they are educated. Knowledge about infertility is limited in the population and a lot of misconceptions and myths are prevalent in the society. Alternative medicine is a popular option for seeking infertility treatment. The cultural and religious perspective about assisted reproductive technologies is unclear, which has resulted in its reduced acceptability.