Ghana: When a Woman Loses Her Womb, Motherhood Does Not Have to End

Rachel, whose real name is withheld, endured four years of marital bliss, anticipating the joys of parenthood. However, recurrent fibroids - non-cancerous growths in her uterus - jeopardized her ability to bear children. Despite her unwavering faith in God, she found solace in the stories of women who had endured similar trials and triumphed through surrogacy.

With medical guidance, Rachel and her husband embarked on a journey into the realm of assisted reproductive technologies, specifically surrogacy. In this process, the husband's sperm was introduced into another woman who graciously agreed to carry the pregnancy on their behalf. After a year of contemplation and legal preparations, Rachel now holds her long-awaited child, a testament to the power of resilience and divine intervention.

Surrogacy in Ghana is legally recognized under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 2020 (Act 1027), which also outlines the legal procedures for parentage determination. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that infertility affects one in six people of reproductive age globally, with Ghana's incidence estimated at 11.8 percent for women and 15.8 percent for men.

Although the exact number of couples utilizing surrogacy in Ghana remains undisclosed, fertility experts assert that awareness is growing as more families seek this medical pathway to parenthood. Prof. Promise Emmanuel Sefogah, Vice President of the Fertility Society of Ghana, emphasizes the importance of viewing infertility as a medical condition that can be managed through assisted reproductive technologies, including surrogacy.

He stresses the need for financial support mechanisms, such as the National Health Insurance Scheme, to alleviate the significant out-of-pocket expenses associated with such treatments. Prof. Sefogah also advocates for simplifying Ghana's cumbersome adoption processes and reducing the stigma surrounding childlessness.