Table 1.
Sociodemographic and health-related characteristics.
| Characteristics | Variables | N (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Age group | 20–29 years | 88 (52.7) |
| 30–39 years | 78 (46.7) | |
| 40–49 years | 1 (0.6) | |
|
| ||
| Tribe | Mende | 44 (26.3) |
| Temne | 39 (23.4) | |
| Fullah | 12 (7.2) | |
| Others | 72 (43.1) | |
|
| ||
| Marital status | Single | 10 (6.0) |
| Married | 110 (65.0) | |
| Cohabitate | 45 (26.9) | |
| Separated | 2 (1.2) | |
|
| ||
| If married, type of marriage, n = 110 | Monogamous | 101 (91.0) |
| Polygamous | 10 (9.0) | |
|
| ||
| If polygamous, number of wives, n = 10 | Two wives | 8 (80.0) |
| Three wives | 2 (20.0) | |
|
| ||
| Duration of relationship |
1–5 yrs | 105 (61.7) |
| 6–10 yrs | 55 (32.9) | |
| >10 yrs | 9 (5.4) | |
|
| ||
| Highest level of education attained | No formal education | 38 (22.8) |
| Primary | 26 (15.6) | |
| Secondary | 36 (21.6) | |
| Tertiary | 67 (40.1) | |
|
| ||
| Religion | Christianity | 80 (47.9) |
| Islam | 87 (52.1) | |
|
| ||
| Provider of household income | Self | 7 (4.2) |
| Partner | 47 (28.1) | |
| Both | 109 (65.3) | |
| Others (parent or in-laws etc.) | 4 (2.4) | |
|
| ||
| Employment status | Employed | 131 (78.4) |
| Unemployed | 36 (21.6) | |
|
| ||
| Monthly income | <1 million Leones | 40 (24.0) |
| 1–3.5 million Leones | 127 (76.0) | |
|
| ||
| Distance from health facility | <5 km | 94 (56.3) |
| 5–10 km | 69 (41.3) | |
| >10 km | 4 (2.4) | |
|
| ||
| Presence of health problem | Yes | 24 (14.4) |
| No | 143 (85.6) | |
|
| ||
| If yes, what type, n = 24 | Peptic ulcer | 8 (33.3) |
| Malaria | 6 (25.0) | |
| Typhoid fever | 4 (16.7) | |
| Asthma | 3 (12.5) | |
| Diabetes | 2 (8.3) | |
| Sickle cell | 1 (4.2) | |
| Hypertension | 1 (4.2) | |
|
| ||
| Suffering from reproductive health problems | Yes | 57 (34.1) |
| No | 110 (65.9) | |
|
| ||
| If yes, what type, n = 57 | Miscarriage | 29 (50.9) |
| Vaginal infection | 15 (26.3) | |
| Sexual transmitted infection | 9 (15.8) | |
| Fibroid | 2 (3.5) | |
| Bleeding | 1 (1.7) | |
| Painful menstruation | 1 (1.7) | |
|
| ||
| If yes, seek help, n = 57 | Yes | 52 (91.2) |
| No | 5 (8.8) | |
|
| ||
| If yes, where did you seek help, n = 57 | Health facility | 57 (100) |
|
| ||
| Previously given birth | Yes | 81 (48.5) |
| No | 86 (51.5) | |
|
| ||
| Mean number of children n = 81 | 1.5 (0.6)∗ | |
|
| ||
| Change of partner | Yes | 15 (9.0) |
| No | 152 (91.0) | |
|
| ||
| Suffering from emotional torture from partner or immediate family | Rejection | 11 (6.6) |
| Violence | 5 (3.0) | |
| Stigma | 6 (3.6) | |
| None | 145 (86.8) | |
|
| ||
| Cause of infertility | Witchcraft | 1 (0.6) |
| Curse/spell | 1 (0.6) | |
| Medical causes | 165 (98.8) | |
|
| ||
| Barriers to accessing fertility care | Yes | 11 (6.6) |
| No | 156 (93.4) | |
|
| ||
| If yes, what type of barriers, n = 23 | Financial | 15 (65.2) |
| Distance | 7 (30.4) | |
| Family | 1 (4.4) | |
|
| ||
| Duration of infertility (months) | 12.9 (11.3)∗ | |
|
| ||
| Visit to traditional medicine practitioner | Yes | 11 (6.6) |
| No | 156 (93.4) | |
∗Mean (standard deviation). $1 = SLL7500 at the time of conducting the study.