Abstract:
Infertility remains a challenge for some couples globally. Evidence show that one in every six couples will face a fertility problem in their reproductive age. For the past four decades, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has been an alternative treatment for infertility in many countries, including Ghana. The complexities associated with the ART process underscore the relevance of coping throughout the treatment cycle. To understand the multiple factors negatively affecting couples undergoing ART, I used a convergent parallel mixed-method research design to investigate the phenomenon in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Overall, 223 women participated in the study. The Ways of Coping (WOC) validated questionnaire and interview protocols were used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Data were processed using Stata version 14.0 and Nvivo QSR version 10. The findings showed that couples, particularly women, attach importance to childbearing in many cultures in Ghana. But in an event where the expectation of procreation is unmet, psychological and emotional wellbeing become distorted. Mental health issues reported by women as consequences of infertility included depression, anxiety, self-stigma, and enacted stigma. All participants opted for ART as an alternative solution to their infertility. The process of ART also presented challenges to the women such as high cost of ART, long-distance to ART centres, and anxiety about treatment outcome. The women, however, adopted various coping strategies, including confrontation, distancing, self-control, social support, acceptance, avoidance, problem-solving, and positive reappraisal to deal with the ART challenges. The increasing demand for ART as an alternative treatment to infertility in Ghana calls for integration of ART services into the existing regular obstetric and gynecological services in public hospitals in Ghana. This could remove barriers to ART access for couples