Traditional Practices Used for the Infertility Treatment Among Females in Albaha City.

Background

Infertility is a reproductive disorder affecting either the male or female reproductive system, characterized by the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. It may result from male, female, or idiopathic factors, with certain etiologies being preventable. Management of infertility frequently involves assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Objective

This quantitative cross-sectional study aimed to discover the traditional practices used for infertility treatment among females in Albaha City. Materials and

Methods

This study was conducted with 251 infertile women between the ages of 50 or beneath who had primary or secondary infertility because of personal reasons or male infertility in the maternity outpatient departments of Albaha City hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The study period lasted from May 30, 2021, until January 2022. The research obtained approval from the Faculty of Nursing ethical committee at King Abdulaziz University Jeddah before participants granted their consent.

Results

A total of 251 participants indicated that 51.0% found traditional infertility treatment successful and 45.8% had no previous knowledge about the approach, while 3.2% viewed it negatively. Among the participants, 39.5% revealed that they got pregnant after using traditional treatments, whereas 60.5% said they did not get pregnant. About 29.0% of women who got pregnant achieved it within 6 months and 11.0% of them conceived over 6 months to 1 year. Two-thirds of participants reported no side effects from traditional healing treatment, and half of the respondents planned to repeat their experience. The research conducted on pregnancy and herb consumption demonstrated a lack of statistical importance expressed through the data values (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Many participants believed in using traditional practices and visiting traditional healers instead of attending medical facilities and the care services provided by health professionals due to their actions on physiological systems and low cost. Further investigation is required to support the outcomes of this study.