Experiences of women undergoing assisted reproductive technology in Ghana: A qualitative analysis of their experiences

Abstract

Objective The study aimed to explore the experiences of women undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technologies namely; Invitro Fertilization and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection at the Finney Hospital and Fertility Centre, New Bortianor, Ghana. Method A qualitative research design was employed to analyse and describe the experiences of the women seeking Assisted Reproductive Technologies. A total of 32 women were invited to take part in the interview, 15 of them accepted the invitation. However, saturation was reached before all interviews had been complete. Results Three themes emerged from the study: the women’s experiences, challenges and the roles and contributions of significant others. The women were anxious, stressed-up, exhausted and financially burdened. Spouses and health professionals played significant roles by providing social, emotional and financial support for these women. Significant others such as spouses and close relatives were supportive and provided encouragement to the women. Conclusion The experiences of women undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technologies are multi-dimensional. Thus, psychosocial interventions as part of ART services with health insurance cover may be client-centered and more appropriate for these group of women.