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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa has urged the nation not to discriminate against people with fertility challenges, but should accept them with love and dignity.
She said stigmatisation against infertile couples can cause stress which may worsen the situation.
The First Lady said this while addressing couples with fertility challenges in Harare recently at a social gathering which ran under the theme “Hannah’s tears.”
She said society should give the couples a shoulder to lean on to reduce stigma.
“Infertility is a worldwide health issue and stigma of being labelled as infertile is not something anyone wants,” she said.
“Kuuya kwandaita ndoda kuti musununguke mese mundiudze zviripasipasi pemoyo yenyu. Dzimwe dzenguva munofunga zvakadzima nekuti munenge musina wekutaura naye. Tese tiripano tauya kuzokunyaradzai.
“We want to share views and help one another to cope and manage some of the life situations that we end up involved in. In some instances, society and culture have made it a taboo to talk about certain issues hence finding a solution becomes a battle.
“Imo mumacommunities matinogara ngavasasarudza nekuti munhu akamira sei. The condition of being unable to have children is not a new phenomenon or unique to Zimbabwe, but it is universal across nations and cultures.
“We can all agree that it is an expectation of every couple to have their own off-spring asi ibasa resociety, vavakidzani, hama nesu tose kuti tisimbisane nevamwe vedu vane dambudziko rakaita seiri.”
The First Lady said failing to conceive does not mean it is the end of the world
The First Lady brought representatives from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Social Welfare, Connect-Zimbabwe Institute of Systematic Therapy among other guests who educated the couples on various issues.
Mrs Margaret Nyandoro from the Ministry of Health and Child Care imparted knowledge to the couples on factors that may cause infertility and how to overcome some of them.
She cited stress, excessive smoking and drinking alcohol, genetically abnormalities, fibroids, endometriosis and getting exposed to pesticides or radiation for a long time among other factors.
Online Reporter