Traditional Methods Known and Practiced by Infertile Women for Infertility:A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to determine the traditional methods known and practiced by infertile women for infertility. Desing: This study was designed as descriptive and cross-sectional type. Materials and method: The study sample consisted of 153 infertile women who visited the in vitro fertilization (IVF) center of a public hospital. The data were collected using a questionnaire to determine the infertile women’s socio-demographic characteristics, duration of infertility, medical treatment for infertility, family support, feelings about having children in the future, and the traditional methods they knew and used for infertility. Results: Among the traditional methods they knew and utilized for infertility, almost all the infertile women reported praying, 52.9% reported drinking herbal remedies, nearly half of them reported drinking onion juice and consuming fig puree, and 46.4% reported drinking carob juice. Considering the relationship between the duration of infertility and traditional practices known by infertile women regarding infertility, there was a significant difference between longer periods of infertility and the status of knowing traditional practices such as drinking onion juice, visiting holy tombs, consulting a hodja/Muslim preacher, going to thermal springs, and using heat plaster on the back (p<0.05). Consclusion: The fact that infertile women knew and used at least one traditional method for infertility in our study shows that their fertility is at risk. In this regard, nurses need to take careful patient histories at every stage of treatment, provide psychological and social support during the long and difficult treatment process, and offer counseling services. Furthermore, comprehensive studies are needed to examine the effects of traditional methods used in infertility treatment.