Knowledge, attitudes and practices of men and women regarding infertility in the City of Tshwane, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

INTRODUCTION : Infertility continues to be a major public health issue with deep social and psychological effects, particularly in low- and middle-income environments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of men and women around infertility in the City of Tshwane, Pretoria, South Africa. METHODS : This descriptive quantitative study surveyed 390 participants in Tshwane District primary healthcare settings using a self-administered questionnaire and stratified sampling. RESULTS : The study found that most participants had a good understanding of infertility causes, with 67.4% identifying menstrual cycle irregularities as a potential factor for female infertility and 64.4% recognizing semen abnormalities as a cause for male infertility. However, there were some misconceptions identified, such as 30.5% of people believed that infertility was more common in women than in men, and 69.2% of individuals considered it a disability. With 79.5% of respondents identifying infertility as a medical problem, attitudes regarding it were largely positive. The majority—90.7% of the participants—were open to changes in lifestyle and assisted reproductive methods, such as IVF. Gender differences in coping mechanisms were found in that 79.2% of males favoured traditional medicine for the treatment of infertility, while 90% of the women preferred spiritual or religious practices. DISCUSSION : According to this study, both men and women in Tshwane had favourable views and good knowledge regarding infertility. Though there were some misunderstandings, most participants were aware of some causes of infertility. Openness to medical treatments was noted in the willingness to embrace assisted reproduction and lifestyle modifications. CONCLUSION : The study found that while men and women had knowledge and positive attitudes toward infertility. However, misconceptions, such as viewing infertility as a disability and as a woman’s problem, persisted. Attitudes towards infertility from both genders were mainly positive, with significant support for lifestyle modifications and assisted reproduction technology. Gender differences in coping mechanisms were evident, with males choosing traditional medicine while women favoured religious methods. To increase awareness and lessen the stigma associated with infertility, the study stressed the need for gender-sensitive, culturally relevant health educational initiatives to improve awareness and address misconceptions.