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. 1993 Jul;101(Suppl 2):73–80. doi: 10.1289/ehp.93101s273

Regional and geographical variations in infertility: effects of environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic factors.

R J Leke 1, J A Oduma 1, S Bassol-Mayagoitia 1, A M Bacha 1, K M Grigor 1
PMCID: PMC1519926  PMID: 8243409

Abstract

Fertility is affected by many different cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic factors, especially in developing countries where poverty and infections are commonplace. Environmental factors play a major role in infertility in Africa. One of the most important health problems in sub-Saharan Africa is the high rate of infertility and childlessness. The African society has a strong traditional heritage, and the study of the patterns of infertility in this part of the world would be incomplete without consideration of the sociocultural and environmental factors. The most cost-effective approach to solving the infertility problems in Africa is prevention and education. In Mexico, problems of reproductive health are associated with pregnancy in adolescents, sexually transmitted diseases and genitourinary neoplasms. Infertility affects 10% of couples, usually as a result of asymptomatic infection. Education, poverty, nutrition, and pollution are problems that must be tackled. The government has taken positive action in the State of São Paulo in Brazil, where gender discrimination is a major factor affecting women's health and reproductive outcomes. The implementation of new policies with adequate funding has resulted in marked improvements.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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