Public Knowledge and Perception of Children Born Via In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in Western Nigeria: A Systematic Review

Infertility is higher in low and middle income countries potentially influenced by low social determinants of health. Understanding public perceptions of infertility, in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) and IVF babies is crucial to development of effective measures for better reproductive outcomes in Western Nigeria where IVF uptake remain low despite the available of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) such as IVF. The study aimed to explore public knowledge and perception of children born through IVF in Western Nigeria. A systematic review was conducted using articles extracted from a search criteria carried out in Google Scholar, African Journals Online (AJOL), Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, and JSTOR databases in additional to search within repositories at The University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University. Thirteen articles were extracted after application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as the quality audit criteria. Four were qualitative studies, eight quantitative studies and one mixed method study. The reviewed articles involved diverse participant groups, including couples, community members and reproductive health stakeholders. The review established low understanding of infertility with significant religious and cultural influence on causes and management of infertility.  Awareness of in-vitro fertilization was moderate, but uptake was limited by high cost of care, complex procedures and antagonistic cultural and religious beliefs such as acceptance of divine influence on fertility status.  There was a mixed public perception of children born of IVF, a reflection to the prevalent diverse societal norms, understanding of childbirth as a natural occurrence and social stigma. Significant gaps exist on public view of infertility, IVF and IVF babies due to antagonistic cultural and religious beliefs.  Moreover, uptake of IVF services is hindered not only by those cultural and religious beliefs, but also financial ad procedural barriers. Further research is recommended through demographic surveys, to measure population wide view of infertility, IVF and IVF babies in Western Nigeria. Besides, policy and practice measures are recommended to educate the masses with the aim of eradicating the social determinants of health that hinder utilization of IVF and acceptance of IVF babies. Keywords: Public knowledge, perception, children, In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Nigeria