Psychological Experience of Couple Infertility Among Women in Senegal

Introduction: Infertility is defined as the inability of a couple to achieve a clinical pregnancy after at least twelve months of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. It is a major reproductive health problem worldwide, affecting approximately 80 million people. In Senegal, infertility represents a significant health and social concern due to its prevalence, its psychosocial repercussions, and the burden of suffering it inflicts on affected couples. The objective of the study was to evaluate the psychological experience of infertility among women in couples. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective, cross-sectional and descriptive study carried out over the period from October 11, 2021 to October 17, 2022 at the maternity ward of the National Hospital Center “Dalal Jamm” in Dakar. This included women in a relationship for one year who were consulted for pregnancy and those followed for infertility. Data was collected by direct interview, entered into the KOBO application, processed and analyzed using Excel and SPSS software. Results: Out of a total of 100 women surveyed, the average age was 34 years. The age group of [30-37 years] was the most represented. The secondary education level was the most represented 31%. The liberal profession was 37%, Muslim women 95% and those in their first marriage 85%. Women had been cohabiting with their partner for more than 5 years in 54% of cases. Primary infertility was 61%. The spouse participated in the explorations in 68.8% of cases. Infertility was of female origin in 51% of cases. When the diagnosis was announced, women felt hopeless in 29.6% of cases. Chronic psychological manifestations such as anxiety (82%), depression (73%), self-defense mechanisms such as isolation (62%), affiliation (20%) and intellectualization (13%) were not noted in the patients. The types of help expressed by patients were medical (68%), financial (37%), spiritual (23%), and psychological (20%). Conclusion: Infertility is not only a reproductive health issue, but also a mental health problem due to the psychological suffering it causes. Psychological and medical care (PMA) would allow women to reduce psychological suffering and increase the chances of pregnancy.