Waiting for Gabriel: Hope and Practices of Coping Unexplained Infertility in Pakistan
Liaqat Ali, MBBS, FCPS, MHPE, and Atiya Munir, MPH, Institute of Kidney Diseases Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan
Unexplained infertility is a major health issue and It is an extremely distressing and demoralizing illness not only for infertile couple but also affects the whole family in a conservative society of Pakistan. The Holistic medical care has been proven as most valuable option in turning the tide from “cure” oriented model to “care” oriented model. The psycho social distress associated with unexplained infertility in already strained health system has been matter of great concern for clinicians and philanthropists. The management of un explained infertility is very enigmatic in strict cultural nomadic society of Pakistan. The Infertility is considered as a taboo, that haunts whole family. The desire to concieve is always a dream for married couple but not fulfilling the desire of parenthood leads to the hope of waiting for Gabriel as described in the iconic verse in Chapter on virgin Mary. There are numerous physical, metaphysical, psychological, parapsychological and spiritual practices in dealing with primary unexplained infertility.
Objective
To study the role of spirituality in elevating the hope and spiritual practices in management of unexplained infertility.
Methods
It is a descriptive study that was conducted in the department of Urology Institute of Kidney Disease Peshawar Pakistan from Jan 2020 till June 2023. Total of 130 spiritually motivated infertile couple were identified by questioner of FICA with non probability consecutive sampling. We excluded the patients with known causes of infertilty, secondary infertility and non-consenting participants. All the medical data and spiritual practices was collected on structured proforma and was analyzed on SPSS.
Result:
The mean age of the patient was 24 years with median time of Infertility of 4 years.. All the infertile couples were living together. Social pressure, family pressures and embarrassment of having no children was leading cause of anxiety and depression in 101 couples with majority affecting female partner for being vulnerable to polygamy by husband. Different practices had been identified in coping and management of unexplained infertility. The different spiritual interventions in 130 patients included Spiritual Prayers, and recitation of verses from Holy Quran in 45 (34.6%) patients, Healer touch by spiritual mentor in 30 patients, pledge for religious pilgrimage in 25 patients especially to the shrine of Imam Hussain in Karbala and Syed Muhammad in Balad Iraq, pledge for fasting in 15 patients and monetary donations in orphan homes in 10 patients and miscellaneous in 5 patients. The Mean Quality of Life Score in 105 patients was 1.8 ± 1.6 that revealed satisfied life with good coping of Disease. Only 20 patients were on Anti-depressants during course of illness.
Conclusion
Spiritual interventions in any form have positive effect on overall coping of patients with unexplained infertility.
Objective
To study the role of spirituality in elevating the hope and spiritual practices in management of unexplained infertility.
Methods
It is a descriptive study that was conducted in the department of Urology Institute of Kidney Disease Peshawar Pakistan from Jan 2020 till June 2023. Total of 130 spiritually motivated infertile couple were identified by questioner of FICA with non probability consecutive sampling. We excluded the patients with known causes of infertilty, secondary infertility and non-consenting participants. All the medical data and spiritual practices was collected on structured proforma and was analyzed on SPSS.
Result:
The mean age of the patient was 24 years with median time of Infertility of 4 years.. All the infertile couples were living together. Social pressure, family pressures and embarrassment of having no children was leading cause of anxiety and depression in 101 couples with majority affecting female partner for being vulnerable to polygamy by husband. Different practices had been identified in coping and management of unexplained infertility. The different spiritual interventions in 130 patients included Spiritual Prayers, and recitation of verses from Holy Quran in 45 (34.6%) patients, Healer touch by spiritual mentor in 30 patients, pledge for religious pilgrimage in 25 patients especially to the shrine of Imam Hussain in Karbala and Syed Muhammad in Balad Iraq, pledge for fasting in 15 patients and monetary donations in orphan homes in 10 patients and miscellaneous in 5 patients. The Mean Quality of Life Score in 105 patients was 1.8 ± 1.6 that revealed satisfied life with good coping of Disease. Only 20 patients were on Anti-depressants during course of illness.
Conclusion
Spiritual interventions in any form have positive effect on overall coping of patients with unexplained infertility.