Abstract:
Background Delay to consult for infertility leads to lower chances of getting pregnant. This
study was aimed to identify the causes of delay to seek for medical attention for infertility
among Rwandan women attending the University Teaching Hospitals of Kigali.
Methods We have conducted a cross-sectional study, data were collected for a period of
three months on patients consulting outpatient at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali
(CHUK) and Rwanda Military Hospital (RMH) selected by simple random sampling. Delay
to consult was defined as consulting for infertility at least six months after meeting WHO
definition. Multivariable models were used to examine the factors of delay to consult.
Results The prevalence of women consulting for infertility was 20.5%. Two third of
participants had delayed to consult for infertility. Factors associated with delay to consult
were: advanced maternal age (OR: 2.177, 95%CI:1.245-3.806, p=0.006), having primary
education (OR: 2.31, 95%CI: 1.06-5.034, p=0.035), having no occupation (OR: 3.115,
95%CI: 1.182-8.209, p=0.022). Farmers and women owning a business were also more
likely to have delayed consultation (OR: (2.889, 95%CI: 1.113-7.496, p=0.029 and OR:
2.687, 95%CI: 1.08-6.686, p=0.034 respectively). Women who had an unintended
pregnancy on most recent pregnancy had higher odds of delaying to consult when infertility
emerges (OR: 3.317, 95%CI: 1.247-8.826, p=0.013), similar to women for whom the
pregnancy resulted into a live birth (OR: 3.649, 95%CI: 1.53-8.704, p=0.003).
Conclusion Infertility services with special consideration for women with advanced maternal
age and women with lower educational level is needed (These groups have a delayed
utilization of healthcare services. Again, health education to couple is needed to explain to
the community about their right to use existing healthcare services
