Features
Azoospermia; the ‘sperm-less’ journey to fatherhood
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In the rural setting, a man’s manhood is figuratively likened to a hunting gun.
Like a hunter, it is believed that a man’s greatest asset in the bedroom is the gun with which he is expected to shoot a game; in this case, satisfy a woman sexually and most importantly get her pregnant.
Therefore, when a man is unable to do either of these especially the latter, it is said that “Abanagye ne tuo” an Akan expression which literary translates as “the state has confiscated his gun.” At this point, the man is deemed inept in the bedroom.
Peddlers of sex enhancement drugs have gained notoriety for using this expression in their commercials which are blared on moving vans in town and until recently, on radio and TV.
In the quest of some men to reclaim their supposed figurative guns from the state, and avoid the stigma that comes with their condition, they have gone out of their way.
Kofi Darko (not real name) is one of such men. He is a 35 year old driver. In his case his wife, a teacher, whom I would refer to as Ama can vouch for his stellar sexual performance since they married four years ago.
However, instead of her womb being filled with a growing foetus, her heart has rather been filled with hope that her husband would be healed from a medical condition called Azoospermia.
The condition
According to Stanford Health Care, one of the leading health facilities in the United States, which specialises in Azoospermia treatment, the condition is the absence of measurable sperm in a man’s semen.
In its profile of infertility conditions online, it states that the lack of sperm in the semen could be due to blockage of the male genital system although there is completely normal sperm production. This is called obstructive Azoospermia.
The condition is termed non-obstructive Azoospermia when it is as the result of poor sperm production.
Per the hospital’s website, Azoospermia is one of the major causes of male infertility and is found in five to 10 per cent of men evaluated for infertility. The condition may be present at birth or may develop later in life.
The discovery
Kofi and Ama learnt of the condition when they both visited a health facility after four months of not getting pregnant. The visit to the hospital became necessary after she did not get the desired results from herbal medicine.
“I was very shocked when I found out about my husband’s condition. I was shattered when I googled and I realised there was no cure”, she said while trying hard to fight back her tears.
It was a bitter memory to flash back. But that was just one scene of their predicaments for their search for a solution led them into more problems.
Spiritual solution to biological problem
Due to lack of financial strength to pursue the various options for child birth, they resorted to spiritual solution to a biological problem by visiting different pastors.
Kofi was made to consume all sort of concoctions, adhere to all manner of spiritual directions and part with varying sums of money. One pastor even wanted to impregnate his wife on his behalf.
“I get infuriated when I hear about pastors who claim they can help couples to deliver. One took my money for oil and later told me the oil bottle fell and broke so I have to pay again. Another wanted to sleep with my wife”, he said.
The stigma and teasing
According to Kofi, he had gone through all these trouble because he could no longer bear the stigmatisation and the teasing from close associates.
“I try to avoid the company of my colleague drivers because they tease and ask me if my manhood works. They feel that they are only playing with me but sometimes I feel so hurt and close and go home.
“It has been a painful experience and try as I have to brush it off, I find myself thinking about it over and over again. If I had just one child, I know all these will end”, he lamented.
According to Ama, the stigma is affecting their sexual life since Kofi is of the view that once he cannot make her pregnant, there is no point in having sex.
“He does not seem to enjoy the experience any longer and he does it just to please me. It is not the same as a few months ago. ”, she said.
Treatment
Back to the Stanford website, treatment for Azoospermia depends on the type. For obstructive Azoospermia, surgery could often fix blocked tubes in a man’s reproductive tract or make connections that never developed because of congenital defects.
For non-obstructive Azoospermia, advanced treatments could help men with that condition to experience the return of sperm to their semen and aid unassisted conception.
All not lost
But if both ways do not work, Dr Maryann Zuolo, a medical doctor at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, says, there are several ways they could have children.
“There are options like invitro fertilisation (IVF) which helps with fertilisation, embryo development, and implantation, so you can get pregnant. There is surrogacy too. A couple having problems should not think all is lost”, she said.
The cost of IVF ranges between GH¢15,000 –GH¢ 40,000. Sadly,Kofi cannot afford it.The only currency he can afford now is the hope that his sperm-less journey to fatherhood will end.
As Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa recently advocated, parliament should consider a legislation which would make Assisted Reproductive Technologies affordable and convenient for Ghanaians.
While we wait for that time, we have a duty to support and not stigmatise childless couples.
Fatherhood/samba/Ayoo/21/06/2020
Azoospermia; the ‘sperm-less’ journey to fatherhood
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
In the rural setting, a man’s manhood is figuratively likened to a hunting gun.
Like a hunter, it is believed that a man’s greatest asset in the bedroom is the gun with which he is expected to shoot a game; in this case, satisfy a woman sexually and most importantly get her pregnant.
Therefore, when a man is unable to do either of these especially the latter, it is said that “Abanagye ne tuo” an Akan expression which literary translates as “the state has confiscated his gun.” At this point, the man is deemed inept in the bedroom.
Peddlers of sex enhancement drugs have gained notoriety for using this expression in their commercials which are blared on moving vans in town and until recently, on radio and TV.
In the quest of some men to reclaim their supposed figurative guns from the state, and avoid the stigma that comes with their condition, they have gone out of their way.
Kofi Darko (not real name) is one of such men. He is a 35 year old driver. In his case his wife, a teacher, whom I would refer to as Ama can vouch for his stellar sexual performance since they married four years ago.
However, instead of her womb being filled with a growing foetus, her heart has rather been filled with hope that her husband would be healed from a medical condition called Azoospermia.
The condition
According to Stanford Health Care, one of the leading health facilities in the United States, which specialises in Azoospermia treatment, the condition is the absence of measurable sperm in a man’s semen.
In its profile of infertility conditions online, it states that the lack of sperm in the semen could be due to blockage of the male genital system although there is completely normal sperm production. This is called obstructive Azoospermia.
The condition is termed non-obstructive Azoospermia when it is as the result of poor sperm production.
Per the hospital’s website, Azoospermia is one of the major causes of male infertility and is found in five to 10 per cent of men evaluated for infertility. The condition may be present at birth or may develop later in life.
The discovery
Kofi and Ama learnt of the condition when they both visited a health facility after four months of not getting pregnant. The visit to the hospital became necessary after she did not get the desired results from herbal medicine.
“I was very shocked when I found out about my husband’s condition. I was shattered when I googled and I realised there was no cure”, she said while trying hard to fight back her tears.
It was a bitter memory to flash back. But that was just one scene of their predicaments for their search for a solution led them into more problems.
Spiritual solution to biological problem
Due to lack of financial strength to pursue the various options for child birth, they resorted to spiritual solution to a biological problem by visiting different pastors.
Kofi was made to consume all sort of concoctions, adhere to all manner of spiritual directions and part with varying sums of money. One pastor even wanted to impregnate his wife on his behalf.
“I get infuriated when I hear about pastors who claim they can help couples to deliver. One took my money for oil and later told me the oil bottle fell and broke so I have to pay again. Another wanted to sleep with my wife”, he said.
The stigma and teasing
According to Kofi, he had gone through all these trouble because he could no longer bear the stigmatisation and the teasing from close associates.
“I try to avoid the company of my colleague drivers because they tease and ask me if my manhood works. They feel that they are only playing with me but sometimes I feel so hurt and close and go home.
“It has been a painful experience and try as I have to brush it off, I find myself thinking about it over and over again. If I had just one child, I know all these will end”, he lamented.
According to Ama, the stigma is affecting their sexual life since Kofi is of the view that once he cannot make her pregnant, there is no point in having sex.
“He does not seem to enjoy the experience any longer and he does it just to please me. It is not the same as a few months ago. ”, she said.
Treatment
Back to the Stanford website, treatment for Azoospermia depends on the type. For obstructive Azoospermia, surgery could often fix blocked tubes in a man’s reproductive tract or make connections that never developed because of congenital defects.
For non-obstructive Azoospermia, advanced treatments could help men with that condition to experience the return of sperm to their semen and aid unassisted conception.
All not lost
But if both ways do not work, Dr Maryann Zuolo, a medical doctor at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, says, there are several ways they could have children.
“There are options like invitro fertilisation (IVF) which helps with fertilisation, embryo development, and implantation, so you can get pregnant. There is surrogacy too. A couple having problems should not think all is lost”, she said.
The cost of IVF ranges between GH¢15,000 –GH¢ 40,000. Sadly,Kofi cannot afford it.The only currency he can afford now is the hope that his sperm-less journey to fatherhood will end.
As Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa recently advocated, parliament should consider a legislation which would make Assisted Reproductive Technologies affordable and convenient for Ghanaians.
While we wait for that time, we have a duty to support and not stigmatise childless couples.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Features
Confronting newborn abandonment in Ghana: When a cry for help is heard in a dustbin – Part 2
The root causes: It is never just one reason
My years of counselling at CPAC show me abandonment is rarely an act of malice. It is the tragic endpoint of seven overwhelming distresses:
1. Severe maternal mental illness —The hidden emergency
a) Clinical Postpartum Depression (PPD): This is far beyond “baby blues.” It is a severe mood disorder that can appear weeks to months after birth. Due to a massive drop in hormones, extreme sleep deprivation, and emotional exhaustion, the mother feels deep sadness, worthlessness, and complete emotional numbness towards her baby. Picture: A new mother sits by her bed all day, staring blankly. Her baby cries for hours, but she cannot lift her hands to carry the baby. She whispers, “This baby would be better off without me.” She does not hate the baby; she feels she has completely failed as a mother.
b) Peripartum Psychosis (Postpartum Psychosis): This is a psychiatric emergency. Rare but extremely dangerous, appearing suddenly within the first 2-3 weeks after delivery. The mother completely loses touch with reality. She hears commanding voices telling her to abandon the baby, or believes the baby is possessed by an evil spirit or is a “spirit child” who will bring a curse. Picture: A mother genuinely believes she heard a voice saying, “Leave this child at the crossroads at midnight or your family will die.” She abandons the baby not out of hatred, but because her broken mind believes she is obeying a higher spiritual order to save her family.
c) Pre-existing untreated Schizophrenia: This is a chronic, severe mental disorder that existed before the pregnancy. The stress of pregnancy and labour shatters her fragile coping. She suffers from paranoid delusions — believing people want to poison her and the baby — flat affect (zero facial expression), and grossly disorganised thinking, making it impossible to plan how to feed or clean a baby. Picture: A young woman whose family called her illness “spiritual attack” instead of taking her for medication wanders away after delivery, completely forgetting she even gave birth, leaving the infant behind.
2. Extreme socio-economic deprivation: For many girls in some parts of Ghana such as Kasoa, Madina, or Bekwai, poverty is not a statistic; it is a daily panic. No money for antenatal care, no money for hospital delivery, no money for baby diapers or formula. When a mother cannot feed herself, the thought of feeding another mouth feels impossible. Some mothers say, “I left her where someone richer would find her, because I could not watch her starve to death in my hands.” It is a distorted act of survival.
3. Intense societal stigma and shame: In Ghana, pregnancy outside marriage, teenage pregnancy, or pregnancy from rape can bring extreme family rejection. The girl is called “spoilt,” beaten, banned from church, or sacked from school. The fear of bringing shame to the family name is heavier than the fear of police. So she hides the pregnancy for 9 months, delivers alone, and abandons in secret to protect her family’s “honour.”
4. Paternal abandonment — The Man Who Ran Away: Behind almost every abandoned baby is a man who vanished. He says, “It is not mine,” or “Abort it,” and switches off his phone. The mother is left utterly isolated — no emotional, financial, or social support. She is criminalised alone, but the abandonment started with him. Psychological research shows paternal denial is one of the strongest predictors of maternal panic and newborn abandonment.
5. Substance abuse disorders: Alcohol, tramadol, and other drug addiction impair the brain’s executive functioning — the ability to plan, judge consequences, and process emotions. A mother struggling with addiction may give birth in a highly intoxicated or withdrawal state, unable to comprehend the needs of the newborn, leading to neglect and eventual abandonment.
6. The spirit child cultural phenomenon and superstition: In some remote pockets of Northern Ghana and even in few parts of Central and Ashanti regions, public health research shows babies born with congenital deformities, severe disabilities, or whose mothers die in childbirth are branded as “spirit children” or cursed. In extreme instances, families, under cultural pressure, mandate that such babies be exposed or abandoned at shrines or bushes. This is not mental illness, but a harmful cultural belief system that still kills.
The invisible wounds
On the baby: Risk of death from hypothermia, sepsis, and infection. Survivors suffer Anaclitic Depression and Failure to Thrive due to lack of touch. As adults, they battle Reactive Attachment Disorder, chronic mistrust, and identity crisis — “Why did my mother leave me in a dustbin?”
On the mother: Lifelong hidden grief, intense guilt, chronic PTSD, depression, and elevated suicide risk. A prison cell does not heal this.
On the nation: Overburdened orphanages like Osu Children’s Home, draining health budgets, and overworked Social Welfare officers.
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“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; no one seeks God. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe. For there is no difference; – Rom. 3:10, 21-22. (NIV)
Introduction
Dictionaries define righteousness as “behavior that is morally justifiable or right.” Such behavior is characterized by accepted standards of morality, justice, virtue, or uprightness. The Bible’s standard of human righteousness is God’s own perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior, and every word. Thus, God’s laws, as given in the Bible, both describe His own character and constitute the plumb line by which He measures human righteousness.
The bad news is that true and perfect righteousness is not possible for man to attain on his own; the standard is simply too high. The good news is that true righteousness is possible for mankind, but only through the cleansing of sin by Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We have no ability to achieve righteousness in and of ourselves. But Christians possess the righteousness of Christ, because “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21. This is an amazing truth. On the cross, Jesus exchanged our sin for His perfect righteousness so that we can one day stand before God and He will see not our sin, but the holy righteousness of the Lord Jesus.
Establishing our hearts in righteousness
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” – Proverbs 4:23
According to the above verse in Proverbs, our heart is the source of our life. Our life flows from our heart. The Holy Spirit resides in the spirit of the born again Christian. So there is a strong influence of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the new-born Christian. But our heart is also comprised of our soul. As Christians we can choose to focus our soul on the Lord, or on evil things. If we focus on corrupt, immoral, and evil things our heart will be affected detrimentally. It will cause our heart to be crooked or wicked, instead of straight or righteous. So the Scripture says to keep, or guard, our heart. It is wise to protect our heart as what we allow to dominate our heart will inevitably become the fruit, or influence the outcome, of our lives.
One way to approach life is to continually ask the question, “How will this decision or action affect my heart?” Everything we do, every thought we entertain, everything we watch, read, or listen to, shapes our heart. Therefore, the future prosperity of our life will flow from how well we care for our heart.
Think of everything you do, every moment of time, as a seed. We have been given responsibility for choosing which seeds to plant in our heart. What will you grow in the garden of your heart? What seeds will you choose? Our heart is our garden, and our life is the fruit of our garden. So next time you are tempted to dwell on a bad thought, think, “Do I want this seed to grow and manifest in my life?” Next time you are tempted to indulge in a sinful action ask yourself, “Do I want the extension, or fruit, of this sinful action to be what I am known for?”
God gives us the freedom to plant whatever we like in our garden. God loves us regardless of the good or bad choices we may make in our lives. You may be reaping the fruit of some poor choices right now. And God is still saying, “I love you.” But He has wise advice for us; He desires we have a good life. He says, “Guard you heart with all diligence.” This Hebrew word translated ‘diligence’ conveys the meanings of: prison and guard (ibid). A superintendant of a prison is very particular as to what goes in and out of his prison. A prison has very tight security. Just as a superintendant watches over his prison, so we should also supervise our heart (our lives). We should exercise meticulous security with regards to what enters into our heart. Actually, even what comes out of it, as the Scripture says, “ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” – James 1:19, as “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” –Matthew 12:34b.
If what goes into, and what comes out of, our heart determines the success of our lives, what is the first important principle to establish in our heart? “In righteousness you shall be established;” – Isaiah 54:14
Righteousness is the key foundational truth we need to first establish in our heart. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” –Matthew 6:33. Notice Jesus said, “His righteousness”, not our own righteousness. We have to seek and understand God’s righteousness. Isaiah 54:14 says, “Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” God’s righteousness comes from God, not from within us. Humans cannot make themselves God’s righteousness, as all humans have sinned and are therefore inferior to God. God’s righteousness is a gift from God: “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
Righteousness, or right standing with God, has been attained for us through the exchange Jesus made on our behalf. Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness. God’s righteousness is imparted to us when we are made a new creature in Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:17. This righteousness is a gift from God and undeserved by us: “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”- Romans 5:17
Through our faith in Jesus’ blood, shed to remit our sins – Romans 3:25, God imparts righteousness to us by His grace. We actually become a new righteous creation, fully identifying in Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension. This is the foundational miracle we need to understand and have established in our heart. All the other miraculous promises of God come the same way, by God’s grace through faith. Righteousness must be established in our heart for us to truly have faith to receive our rich inheritance in Christ. Jesus has been made unto us righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). We are now “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us”. – 2 Corinthians 1:20
Establishing our minds in righteousness
God expects that, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will be radically changed. In Romans 12:2 He tells us, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
This transformation is to be a metamorphosis, of a magnitude at least comparable to that by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. He expects us to become totally different.
Scripture uses many different images to express the change that should occur: We become “a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.“ – 2 Cor 5:17. It is almost as if we become a new species. Scripture speaks of the “first Adam” who was earthly and fell into sin, and the “second Adam” (Jesus Christ) who was sinless and holy – Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:44-49.
We are “made new in the attitude of our minds” – Eph. 4:23.
We “put off our old self” and “put on the new self” – Eph. 4:22,24; Col 3:9-10.
We “live by the Spirit” and not by the flesh – Gal. 5:16; Rom 8:13.
We become “instruments of righteousness” rather than “instruments of wickedness” – Rom. 6:13.
Each of these metaphors, in a different way, emphasizes the magnitude of the change that is expected. Each is dramatic and astonishing in itself; their cumulative effect is even more powerful. We are talking about a tremendous transformation. It should be visible to others, but its internal effect should be far greater than what others can perceive.
The goal of this transformation
What is the goal of this metamorphosis? Scripture states it in a number of different ways, which overlap and can be seen as different ways of expressing the same basic concept. Scripture often does this, because our minds are inadequate to comprehend, and our language inadequate to express, the full scope of God’s revelation to us.
To be continued!
Stay blessed!
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