Talk busts myths on sexual reproductive health
Women are often blamed for infertility while 50 percent of the challenges come from men.
This was one of the key issues raised when Professor Thabo Matsaseng held a workshop about sexual reproductive health at Lookout Hill in Khayelitsha a fortnight ago, to dismiss myths and address concerns.
Professor Matsaseng, a gynaecologist based at Tygerberg hospital, said in his experience he has discovered that women are often battling to conceive simply because they do not understand how their bodies function and have no clue where to look for help.
He said lack of knowledge has led many people to putting themselves in debt trying to solve fertility problems.
“Unfortunately 50 percent of challenges of women not being able to conceive comes from males. But as a society we always assumed that the challenges of not being able to have a baby comes from women only.
“When a couple wants a child they must understand that they have to travel that journey together. Men must understand that it is not only women that want the child, they both want a child therefore they have a responsibility to ensure that they are getting the right medical advice. In a marriage set-up, especially in our African culture, once a couple battles to have a baby - the wife would be labelled as the one who has complications without finding out what is the problem.
“In some cases, a man will be told by his family that he must get another wife and dump this one who is barren without even encouraging them to seek medical advice. In our African culture it is a taboo to talk about such matters,” he said.
Professor Matsasemg urged men to talk openly about their challenges to their peers and not only talk about the good times, so that they do not suffer in silence.
Gynaecologist and fertility specialist, Dr Rendani Tshikosi, said there is help for women with fertility problems.
He said in many third world countries, they find that most women start to seek fertility advice from the age of 38.
He said such workshops are important because access to fertility clinics is expensive and difficult with the wait for appointments at public hospitals being between six months to a year.
Dr Sharez Patel, who runs his own medical practice, said he has been operating in Khayelitsha for 34 years, and has seen a lot of infertility, as well as unwanted pregnancies and menstruation problems.
He urged women to go for regular health screenings, such as pap smears.
