Arab Culture & Infertility

Women's Corner

Arab Culture & Infertility

RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND AND ITS IMPACT ON THE REACTION TO MALE INFERTILITY IN THE ARAB COUNTRIES

Different stands

In case of male infertility, the wife is expected to be understanding, supportive and accepting and does not imply in any way the role of the victim in this relationship. She is expecting to endure medical procedures and be helpful or else she is not loving as expected to be. However, if she does, she is appreciate overtly or silently from her husband. If the trials succeed this cooperation helps her status in the relationship which usually becomes stronger.
On the other side, if the wife is the cause of infertility, the husband's understanding varies. Some are very supportive and helpful and loving to their wives. The help soothe and ease her concerns being a lesser female. They will live through the experience and will sell all what he owns to finance the medical expenses (most couples are not covered by the insurance for infertility if they ever have one). If everything fails they accept the fact, respects the wife and accepts this as God's will. Others endure for sometime but will soon be inpatient. He feels that he is a victim in this relationship and soon should be a father. Now comes the role of his parents (mothers especially) and sisters. " You should remarry" "You are getting old. You should live till your children grow up" "we want to see our grandchildren before we die".. etc. All these pressures may or may not succeed. He will not divorce his wife. He may secretly or overtly remarry a younger wife. Islam grants the first and second wife to know about the situation of remarriage. The first wife may choose to keep married or ask for a divorce and usually is granted. It is not uncommon especially in the Arabian Countries for the wife to choose a younger wife for her husband if she proves infertile. This new wife would share the home with her put in a semi-separate premises.

2000 جميع حقوق الطبع والنشر محفوظة للدكتور عبد المجيد رمزي لعام