Perceived Stress of Infertile Couples (Male, Female) and the Factors Affecting It

Abstract

Background and Objectives: In addition to physical and mental problems caused by perception of being impotent, social reactions in the society, and the economic and emotional burden of medical costs, infertility causes emotions such as fear, depression, guilty conscience, denial and uncertainty about the future.
 Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 560 infertile couples referring to the Kurdistan Infertility Diagnosis and Therapeutic Center in 1397. Data were collected using a demographic checklist, Newton's Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and a Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale.
 Results: The results showed that gender variables, infertility factor and social support had a significant impact on perceived stress in infertile couples (P <0.05). Additionally, if other variables persist, as social support increases, the perceived stress decreases in the infertile couples. For the infertility cause variable, the stress levels of those who were the infertile spouse were high and the stress of the group whose wife was the infertile spouse was low, and those who were still not certain about the cause of infertility had a lower level of stress.
 Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the perceived stress level in infertile men is more than infertile women and the perceived stress level of respondents who were infertile themselves was more than other factors.

Translation, Cultural Adaptation, and Psychometric Features of the Persian Version of the Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychological Infertility-Fertility Problem Stress Scales (COMPI-FPSS)

“…But on the other hand, men are just like women, and they may be physically and psychologically damaged by various fertility treatments. Mirzaei et al [5] found that the perceived stress in men was higher than the women.…”

“…According to worldwide reports, approximately 15% of the married couples are unable to bear any children [4]. Prevalence of infertility is estimated by 9% in the United States, 8.5% in Canada, 10-15% in the Middle East, and by 21.6% in Iran [5].…”