Hesperian Health Guides
Working for Change
HealthWiki > Where Women Have No Doctor > Chapter 14: Infertility (When You Are Not Able to Have a Baby) > Working for Change
To help someone with infertility problems:
- be kind and sympathetic. These are difficult problems, and people need support and understanding. Do not blame or judge people who cannot have children.
- ask people how they want to be supported. Some may want to talk about their experiences and feelings, or what to do. Others may not. Follow their lead.
- do not give unasked for advice. Do not tell them to ârelax and it will happenâ or âenjoy their time without children.â This can make someone feel worse and lead them to reject support.
Health workers can also:
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| There are many causes of infertility, but STIs are the easiest to prevent. |
- provide information on ways to adopt children.
- teach young people about STIs and how to prevent them.
- make sure your local health center can diagnose and treat STIs, and takes seriously complaints of pelvic pain from women and others who can become pregnant. Too often these people are sent home without treatment after being told there is nothing wrong.
- teach people the signs of STIs and why fast and complete treatment is important, for them as well as any sexual partners.
This page was updated:13 Nov 2023