Research Article
Prevalence and Correlates of Herbal Medicine Use among Women Seeking Care for Infertility in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Table 1
Sociodemographic and health-related characteristics.
| | Characteristics | Variables | (%) |
| | Age group | 20–29 years | 88 (52.7) | | 30–39 years | 78 (46.7) | | 40–49 years | 1 (0.6) |
| | Tribe | Mende | 44 (26.3) | | Temne | 39 (23.4) | | Fullah | 12 (7.2) | | Others | 72 (43.1) |
| | Marital status | Single | 10 (6.0) | | Married | 110 (65.0) | | Cohabitate | 45 (26.9) | | Separated | 2 (1.2) |
| | If married, type of marriage, | Monogamous | 101 (91.0) | | Polygamous | 10 (9.0) |
| | If polygamous, number of wives, | Two wives | 8 (80.0) | | Three wives | 2 (20.0) |
| Duration of relationship
| 1–5 yrs | 105 (61.7) | | 6–10 yrs | 55 (32.9) | | >10 yrs | 9 (5.4) |
| | Highest level of education attained | No formal education | 38 (22.8) | | Primary | 26 (15.6) | | Secondary | 36 (21.6) | | Tertiary | 67 (40.1) |
| | Religion | Christianity | 80 (47.9) | | Islam | 87 (52.1) |
| | Provider of household income | Self | 7 (4.2) | | Partner | 47 (28.1) | | Both | 109 (65.3) | | Others (parent or in-laws etc.) | 4 (2.4) |
| | Employment status | Employed | 131 (78.4) | | Unemployed | 36 (21.6) |
| | Monthly income | <1 million Leones | 40 (24.0) | | 1–3.5 million Leones | 127 (76.0) |
| | Distance from health facility | <5 km | 94 (56.3) | | 5–10 km | 69 (41.3) | | >10 km | 4 (2.4) |
| | Presence of health problem | Yes | 24 (14.4) | | No | 143 (85.6) |
| | If yes, what type, | Peptic ulcer | 8 (33.3) | | Malaria | 6 (25.0) | | Typhoid fever | 4 (16.7) | | Asthma | 3 (12.5) | | Diabetes | 2 (8.3) | | Sickle cell | 1 (4.2) | | Hypertension | 1 (4.2) |
| | Suffering from reproductive health problems | Yes | 57 (34.1) | | No | 110 (65.9) |
| | If yes, what type, | Miscarriage | 29 (50.9) | | Vaginal infection | 15 (26.3) | | Sexual transmitted infection | 9 (15.8) | | Fibroid | 2 (3.5) | | Bleeding | 1 (1.7) | | Painful menstruation | 1 (1.7) |
| | If yes, seek help, | Yes | 52 (91.2) | | No | 5 (8.8) |
| | If yes, where did you seek help, | Health facility | 57 (100) |
| | Previously given birth | Yes | 81 (48.5) | | No | 86 (51.5) |
| | Mean number of children | | 1.5 |
| | Change of partner | Yes | 15 (9.0) | | No | 152 (91.0) |
| | Suffering from emotional torture from partner or immediate family | Rejection | 11 (6.6) | | Violence | 5 (3.0) | | Stigma | 6 (3.6) | | None | 145 (86.8) |
| | Cause of infertility | Witchcraft | 1 (0.6) | | Curse/spell | 1 (0.6) | | Medical causes | 165 (98.8) |
| | Barriers to accessing fertility care | Yes | 11 (6.6) | | No | 156 (93.4) |
| | If yes, what type of barriers, | Financial | 15 (65.2) | | Distance | 7 (30.4) | | Family | 1 (4.4) |
| | Duration of infertility (months) | | 12.9 |
| | Visit to traditional medicine practitioner | Yes | 11 (6.6) | | No | 156 (93.4) |
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(standard deviation). $1 = SLL7500 at the time of conducting the study. |
