Anthropologist examines stigma of infertility in Nigeria

In sub-Saharan Africa, the issue of infertility is often obscured by the region's high fertility rates. Though problematic, particularly for women, little is known about how different regions understand and respond to infertility or how coping mechanisms differ. New research by Marida Hollos, a Brown University anthropologist, investigates the cultural context and consequences of infertility within two high-fertility populations in Nigeria. The findings, published this month in Social Science and Medicine, illustrate how the stigma of infertility can disadvantage many aspects of a woman's life - from the inability to participate in certain activities to determining where and how she is ultimately buried.

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