Infertility in Muslim Refugees: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Many couples worldwide are affected by infertility, which is defined as an inability to conceive after at least one year of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Many Muslim and Middle Eastern societies place a high societal value on having children and therefore, couples who are unable to conceive for various reasons often find themselves feeling stigmatized and socially isolated. Muslim refugees living in the United States face additional challenges and barriers to care due to their refugee status. This review is a synthesis of existing literature that 1) identifies Islamic viewpoints on infertility and assistive reproductive technology (ART), 2) explores the psychosocial impact of infertility for Muslim refugees, and 3) identifies barriers to care for this population. A PubMed search was conducted which yielded 592 records. After screening and removal of duplicates, 37 full-length texts were included for review. Key findings included different religious perspectives regarding various forms of ART between the two major sects of Islam (Sunni and Shia), significant social stigma and stress from infertility, and barriers to care such as high cost of treatment. Future research is needed in this area to better provide culturally competent care to Muslim couples experiencing infertility. DOI: 10.18297/rgh/vol2/iss2/9 Submitted Date: May 14, 2019 Accepted Date: July 11, 2019 Website: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/rgh Affiliations: 1University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville VA, USA 2University of Virginia Department of Family Medicine, Charlottesville VA, USA This original article is brought to you for free and open access by ThinkIR: The University of Louisville’s Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in the Journal of Refugee & Global Health by an authorized editor of ThinkIR. For more information, please contact thinkir@louisville.edu. Recommended Citation: Reaves, Simone N.; Hauck, Fern R. (2019) “Infertility in Muslim Refugees: A Review of the Literature,” Journal of Refugee & Global Health: Vol. 2 : Iss. 2, Article 9.