Infertility in the Global South: Raising awareness and generating insights for policy and practice.

Infertility is a highly prevalent reproductive health condition in the global South, which often has a devastating impact on the people concerned. Yet, thus far it hardly received any attention from policy makers, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) or donors working in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). For this reason we have set up a project to increase knowledge and awareness about infertility and childlessness among those stakeholders and organizations and to generate insight into (possible) interventions in this field. The project received a grant by Share-Net International (the Knowledge Platform in the field of SRHR, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and is a unique collaboration between universities, fertility clinics, fertility support groups and the Walking Egg Foundation. The project consists of multimethods studies in Ghana and Kenya as well as dissemination workshops and meetings in these countries and the Netherlands. The first workshops in Kenya have already taken place with successful feedback from stakeholders. In this commentary we provide insight into the project and the main points and recommendations discussed in the Workshops in Kenya.

An exploration of the psycho-sexual experiences of women who have undergone female genital cutting: a case of the Maasai in Kenya.

The research explored the link between type II Female Genital Cutting (FGC) and sexual functioning. This thesis summary thus draws from an exploratory ethnographic field study carried out among the Maasai people of Kenya where type II FGC is still being practiced. A purposely sample consisting of 28 women and 19 men, within the ages of 15-80 years took part in individual interviews and 5 focus group discussions. Participants responded to open-ended questions, a method deemed appropriate to elicit insider's in-depth information. The study found out that one of the desired effects of FGC ritual among the Maasai was to reduce women's sexual desire, embodied as tamed sexuality. This consequence was however not experienced as an impediment to sexual function. The research established that esteeming transformational processes linked with the FGC 'rite of passage' are crucial in shaping a woman's femininity, identity, marriageable status and legitimating sexuality. In turn, these elements are imperative in inculcating and nurturing a positive body-self image and sex appeal and consequently, positive sexual self actualization. These finding brings to question the validity of conventional sexuality theory, particularly those that subscribe to bio-physical models as universal bases for understanding the subject of female sexual functioning among women with FGC. Socio-cultural-symbolic nexus and constructions of sexuality should also be considered when investigating psychosexual consequences of FGC.