Infertility not curse, First Lady asserts as she urges open discussion

The First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has called for an open discussion on infertility to demystify the condition, which many misconstrue as a curse. Mrs Akufo-Addo said infertility is not a curse and that there is the need for both men and women to talk about it without feeling bad. She observed that even though infertility affects more men than women, the women are the more stigmatized. “Childless women still suffer discrimination, stigma and ostracism and the women are always blamed for infertility even though studies show that 50 percent of infertility cases are associated with men,” she said at the launch of a book on infertility in Accra. “Infertility is not a curse but a condition that could be cured,” she stressed. The book, titled ‘Kofi’s Story’, which was launched in partnership with the Merck Foundation, seeks to educate readers, especially the youth, on issues relating to infertility and how to end the associated stigma. It contains special messages from the First Lady of Ghana, an ambassador of ‘Merck More than a Mother’,  and the Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation, Dr. Rasha Kelej, on infertility. A portion of the book, which was read out at the launch, was to empower women not to allow societal stigmatization to discourage them. Dr. Kelej said the issue of infertility does not only affect women but also affects men as well and so called for concerted efforts in ending the stigma associated with it. She urged all who have issues related to infertility to visit the hospital for diagnosis and early detection so the available cure can be applied. She encouraged childless women to empower themselves and not be discouraged by their situation. By Ann Doamekpor|3news.com|Ghana]]>