The Influence of Socio-Demographic, Behavioral, and Physiological Factors on Perceptions of Difficulty Getting Pregnant and Infertility in Malawi

Janine Barden-Ofallon, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The purpose of this paper is to examine perceptions of fertility problems and the possible socio-demographic, behavioral and physiological factors associated with such perceptions. Comparisons are made between the factors associated with a perception of difficulty getting pregnant and those who consider themselves or their partner to be infertile. The aim is to identify factors associated with the perception of fertility problems, and how those factors may differ by the severity of the problem. The paper uses survey and focus group data from the Malawi Pregnancy and STI Risk Perception and Avoidance Study, a panel study conducted from June 2000- June 2002. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are used to show the relationship between socio-demographic, behavioral, and physiological variables on the difficulty in getting pregnant and perceived infertility. Content analyses of focus group data are also used to add to our understanding of perceptions of sub-fecundity and infertility in rural Malawi.