Resistance to In-Vitro Fertilization as A Panacea to the Challenge of Infertility in Nigeria

In Nigeria society high premium is placed on child bearing. This has made childlessness to become a socio-cultural problem. Couples are unnecessarily put under pressure to bear children so as to secure genealogy. Childlessness, in Nigeria, normally attracts marital crisis, social disorder, stigmatization, emotional stress, isolation and depression in marriage. In-vitro fertilization has been discovered to be one of the ways to addressing infertility challenge. This study examines resistance to in-vitro fertilization as a panacea to the challenge of infertility in Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive research approach. Findings revealed that there are religious, cultural, ethical, economic, psychological/social resistance to in-vitro fertilization as a panacea to the challenge of infertility. The study concluded that in-vitro fertilization gives hope to couples faced with infertility challenges, that infertility is seen through the lenses of traditional and religious beliefs and this has become great obstacle to the acceptance of in-vitro fertilization as a solution to the challenge of infertility. This work recommended that there is the need for reproductive education, encouragement of seminars and conferences involving religious leaders, ethicists and medical personnel in order for in vitro fertilization to be acceptable in Nigeria society.