Consequences of Infertility for Women’s Married Lives: Evidence from NFHS 5

Tapasya Raj, University of Strasbourg
Harihar Sahoo, International Institute For Population Sciences
Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Aksha Centre for Equity and Wellbeing / International Institute for Population Sciences

Infertility can have devastating consequences for women particularly in patriarchal settings where having children is prized, and a woman’s security in the marital home is closely linked with her ability to bear children. This study explore the prevalence of infertility and its social consequence on women in India, focusing on marital instability, agency, marital control and marital violence, using data from the NFHS (India’s DHS) 2019-21. Findings reveal that 2.3% of women aged 20-39 experience primary infertility, while 9.7% experience secondary infertility. Both primary and secondary infertility are associated with heightened risks of marital instability and polygamous marriages. Also, primary infertility is associated with women's agency, namely, limited freedom of movement and control over resources, but not decision-making power. Secondary infertility is linked to increased controlling behaviour by husbands. Surprisingly, neither emotional nor physical and sexual violence are associated with infertility. Limitations include the restricted scope of indicators available in the NFHS data, and the inability to differentiate consequences depending on whether infertility is attributable to the male or female partner. Overall, findings advocate for better integrating infertility into primary health care, services including counselling and programmes to reduce the stigma and promote male involvement in supporting infertile partners.

Keywords: Fertility, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

See extended abstract.